Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a declaration in Beijing vowing to form a government together, the groups said Tuesday, in the latest attempt at resolving their long rivalry. The statement was signed by 14 Palestinian factions, including terrorist organizations such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front.
According to The Associated Press, both sides said the accord, which provided no guarantees or timeline, was only an initial step. Previous such declarations have failed, raising doubt over whether the China-sponsored negotiations might lead to a resolution between Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for the past 17 years, and Fatah, the main force in the US-backed Palestinian Authority that administers parts of the West Bank.
Israel swiftly denounced the agreement. Israel's foreign minister said no joint governance between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza would take place "because Hamas' rule will be crushed." The US and other Western countries have refused to accept any Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless it expressly recognizes Israel. This factor has wrecked past unity attempts, along with the factions' own competition for power.
The Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a declaration in Beijing on ending the schism and strengthening Palestinian unity, reports.
๐จ๐ณ Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the signing ceremony. pic.twitter.com/J44Gm9TOLvโ S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) July 23, 2024
The conference lasted two full days, and at its conclusion, a statement to the Arab media read: "The national factions agreed during their meeting in China to achieve comprehensive Palestinian national unity, which will include all Palestinian forces and factions, within the framework of the PLO; and commitment to establishing an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, in accordance with UN resolutions and ensuring the right of return under Resolution 194."
The declaration comes at a sensitive time, as the war in Gaza rages on into its 10th month and as Israel and Hamas are weighing an internationally backed ceasefire-hostage proposal that would wind down the war and free dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
There are two main possibilities for the significance of the declaration. The first is that this is once again merely a declarative agreement to please the Chinese hosts or the Palestinian public. The second is that the military pressure in the Gaza Strip, to the point of collapse of the organization's military wing, is bringing the Hamas leadership abroad to a more flexible position to make decisions as they see fit.
The agreement also underscored China's attempts to have a growing role in Middle East diplomacy after its success in mediating the restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. "To be sure, China is still in the process of trying to earn credibility as a global mediator," said James Char, a research fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
