Video: Hamas and Fatah Sign Agreement in Beijing to End Division, Says China

Palestinian factions, including rivals Hamas and Fatah, have signed an agreement aimed at “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity” in Beijing, China announced on Tuesday.

This agreement follows reconciliation talks hosted by China, involving 14 Palestinian factions since Sunday, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. These talks come amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with China positioning itself as a potential peace broker.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the agreement is focused on achieving “great reconciliation and unity” among all 14 factions. He highlighted that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is recognized as the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people. Additionally, the factions agreed on post-Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government.

However, Wang did not clarify Hamas’ role in this arrangement, as Hamas is not part of the PLO. The immediate impact of the deal remains uncertain, especially given Israel’s commitment to eradicating Hamas following its October 7 attack.

The PLO, a coalition of parties that signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1993, formed a new government within the Palestinian Authority (PA). Fatah, which dominates both the PLO and the PA, operates primarily in the West Bank. Hamas, which does not recognize Israel, controls Gaza.

Historically, Hamas and Fatah have experienced deep-seated animosity. Previous attempts to unify the Palestinian territories under a single governance structure have failed, most notably a 2017 agreement that quickly dissolved into violence.

Hamas took administrative control over Gaza in 2007 after winning the 2006 legislative elections and ousting the PA from the strip. Since then, Hamas has governed Gaza, while the PA has controlled parts of the West Bank.

In a press conference in Beijing, Hamas representative Mousa Abu Marzook stated that an agreement had been reached to continue reconciliation efforts. He used the platform to defend Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, claiming it had significantly altered the international and regional landscape.

China has not condemned Hamas for the October 7 attack and has positioned itself as a key advocate for the Global South, criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza and supporting Palestinian statehood. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called for an international peace conference and dispatched a special envoy to the Middle East.

While some question Beijing’s influence in a region long dominated by the US, China surprised many by brokering a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March.

This agreement coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US, where he will meet top officials and address Congress. Israel’s military operations in Gaza were launched in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack, which killed over 1,100 people and resulted in the kidnapping of approximately 250 others. The conflict has led to the deaths of around 39,000 Palestinians, causing a humanitarian crisis and widespread destruction.

A previous reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah was signed in Cairo in October 2017 under pressure from Arab states, led by Egypt. The deal aimed to establish a new unity government to take control of Gaza, ending a decade-long rivalry. However, the agreement collapsed after an assassination attempt on the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister in March 2018, which Fatah blamed on Hamas.