- Fatah and Hamas sign unity declaration
- China hosts unity government talks
- Agreement aims to end long-standing division
Previous discussions collapsed owing to the organizations’ power struggles and the West’s determination to support any administration, including Hamas until it recognized Israel.
Fatah and Hamas leaders have signed a declaration aimed at bringing an end to years of hostility.
Following negotiations in Beijing led by China’s foreign minister, they announced plans to establish a unity government with other factions.
According to CCTV, the factions signed an agreement to ” end division and strengthen Palestinian unity.”
The statement came after discussions between 14 Palestinian factions began Sunday in China’s capital.
It is the latest attempt to reignite efforts to build a government in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Tensions have been increasing between Fatah and Hamas over the latter’s ongoing conflict with Israel.
Fatah’s leader, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, has previously criticized the group for its involvement in the battle, while Hamas has accused Abbas of siding with Israel.
They have been at odds since Hamas won elections in 2006 and gained control of the Gaza Strip after a brief conflict in which it defeated Western-backed Palestinian forces loyal to Mr Abbas.
Since then, efforts have been made to resolve issues between Hamas, which governs Gaza, and Fatah, which serves as the Palestinian Authority’s backbone and administers parts of the West Bank.
Previous discussions have failed because of a power struggle and the West’s determination to accept any government, including Hamas, unless the group, which has been labeled a terrorist entity by the UK and the US, recognizes Israel.
Groups who signed Tuesday’s proclamation included Islamic Jihad, which fights with Hamas in Gaza, and the socialist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
China’s relationship with the Palestinians dates back to the 1960s when it provided food, weapons, training, and assistance to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
China has recently gained considerable financial interests in the Middle East, but hosting the meetings indicates that it is attempting to strengthen its political clout in the region at a time when its relationship with Israel, with whom it has commercial interests, is strained due to the Gaza conflict.
