Hamas, Fatah sign declaration in Beijing to end conflict, Chinese state media reports
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have signed a declaration in Beijing to end a years-long division, Chinese state media reported Tuesday, taking a step toward potentially resolving the deep divide between the two sides. the war in Gaza rages.
This statement is the result of the latest in a series of talks aimed at uniting the partiesPrevious statements have failed, casting doubt on whether the China-brokered talks can actually produce a resolution. This comes as Israel and Hamas consider an internationally supported ceasefire proposal That would end the nine-month war and free dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. But even after a deal is signed, the vision for a post-war Gaza remains uncertain, with Israel fiercely opposed to any role for Hamas in governing Gaza.
Since the current war broke out in Gaza, Hamas officials have said the party does not want to return to power in Gaza as it did before the conflict, and the group has called for the formation of a technocratic government that the various Palestinian factions would agree on, paving the way for elections in both Gaza and the West Bank, with the intention of forming a unified government.
The two groups signed the Beijing Declaration on “Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian Unity,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The two rival Palestinian groups, along with 12 other political factions, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, concluding talks that began Sunday, according to a post on Chinese state broadcaster CGTN’s Weibo social media platform.
A joint statement issued after the latest talks in Beijing gave no details on how or when the government would be formed, saying only that it would be done “by agreement between the factions.”
Fatah and Hamas have been rivals since Hamas defeated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah-loyal forces in Gaza in 2007, taking control of the deprived coastal enclave. The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, administers part of the occupied West Bank. It is widely seen by the Palestinian public as corrupt, out of touch and a subcontractor to Israel because of their joint security coordination.
Repeated attempts at reconciliation have failed, ruined by the factions’ bitter rivalry for power and the West’s refusal to accept a government that would include Hamas unless it expressly recognized Israel.
The administration of US President Joe Biden envisages a revamped Palestinian Authority Israel has offered to rule the post-war Gaza Strip and has sought to implement a series of reforms that could allow it to remain viable in the war-torn territory. Israel has rejected the idea, but has not offered a credible alternative to govern Gaza.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a small militant group allied with Hamas, issued a statement Tuesday after the talks saying it “still rejects any formula that includes recognition of Israel explicitly or implicitly” and that it had “demanded the withdrawal of recognition of Israel by the Palestine Liberation Organization.”
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Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Wu reported from Bangkok.
