Hamas and Fatah sign declaration in Beijing to end years-long rift
- In Reports
- 10:36 PM, Jul 23, 2024
- Myind Staff
Senior leaders from Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a joint declaration in Beijing on Tuesday, aiming to foster unity and resolve a decades-long division as the conflict with Israel in Gaza continues.
The agreement called the “Beijing Declaration to End the Division and Strengthen Palestinian National Unity”, was announced at the end of three days of meetings here and was hailed today as a breakthrough by China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, who called it “a historic moment for the cause of Palestine’s liberation.” The agreement provided only broad outlines of how they would collaborate.
The eight-point declaration states that both sides will agree to the “formation of a temporary national unity government by agreement of the Palestinian factions,” according to a copy of the document seen by NBC News.
It adds that “the formed government shall exercise its powers and jurisdictions over all Palestinian territories, affirming the unity of the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, with the government starting the unification of all Palestinian institutions in the territories and the preparation for holding general elections.”
The signatories have also agreed to “resist and thwart attempts to displace our people” from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem “and affirm the illegality of settlement and settlement expansion in accordance with the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council, the U.N. General Assembly, and the opinion of the International Court of Justice.”
Both sides acknowledged that the accord, lacking guarantees or a timeline, was merely an initial step. Similar past declarations have failed, casting doubt on whether the China-sponsored talks will bring resolution between Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip for the last 17 years, and Fatah, the dominant force in the U.S.-supported Palestinian Authority administering parts of the occupied West Bank.
“There is an opportunity … but it is not big, because it lacks a specific timetable for implementation,” said Hani Al-Masry, an expert on Palestinian reconciliation affairs.
In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hossam Badran said the declaration was an “additional positive step on the path to achieving Palestinian national unity” and that the groups agreed on Palestinian demands to end the conflict, including “a cease-fire, complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, relief and reconstruction.”
Israel promptly condemned the agreement. The U.S. and other Western nations have refused to recognise any Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless it explicitly acknowledges Israel, a stipulation that has undermined previous unity efforts, compounded by the factions' own power struggles.
The declaration comes at a sensitive time, with the Gaza conflict entering its 10th month, and as Israel and Hamas consider an internationally backed cease-fire proposal to end the war and release dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
A major issue is determining who will govern Gaza after the war, and the unity efforts are partly driven by Palestinians’ wish to propose a solution for postwar governance.
However, Israel vehemently opposes any role for Hamas, which it has vowed to destroy following its October 7 attack on southern Israel. Israel has also rejected U.S. calls for the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza after the fighting ends, yet it has not offered a cohesive postwar vision of its own.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah has been highly reluctant to share power with its long-time rival. Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006. The following year, amid escalating tensions, Hamas defeated forces loyal to Abbas in Gaza and has governed the impoverished coastal enclave ever since.
During the current conflict, Hamas officials have stated that the group does not wish to return to ruling Gaza. Instead, they advocate for forming a government of technocrats agreed upon by various Palestinian factions. This government would then prepare for elections in Gaza and the West Bank, aiming to establish a unified administration.
The deal also highlights China’s ambitions to be a more significant diplomatic player in the Middle East and a rival to the United States as a broker on the global stage. It comes just over a year after China helped broker an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia that saw them restore diplomatic relations after years of soaring tensions between the Middle Eastern powerhouses, unnerving many in Washington.
President Joe Biden’s administration has proposed a plan aimed at achieving a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, the release of all hostages, and significant post-war reconstruction. The plan also envisions a reformed Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza once the conflict ends. Israel rejected this idea but has not offered a credible alternative for how Gaza will be governed and by whom.
China is not directly involved in the U.S.-led efforts between Israel and Hamas toward a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but is looking to stake out a role in post-war reconstruction. China has also made no secret of its desire to hold an international peace conference, and hosting Palestinian unity talks is seen as a diplomatic step toward that.
The Palestinian factions issued a joint statement announcing the agreement but did not provide details on how or when the government would be formed, stating only that it would be done “by agreement among the factions.” They pledged to follow up on previous reconciliation agreements signed in 2011 and 2022.
In the statement, all the factions, including Hamas, affirmed their commitment to establishing a Palestinian state on territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.
Hamas, whose original charter directly called for Israel’s destruction, has stated it would accept a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 war borders but refuses to officially recognise Israel.
The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, has recognised Israel and operates within the framework of peace deals signed in the early 1990s. These agreements were intended to lead to an eventual state in the West Bank and Gaza, but negotiations have stalled for years, leaving the authority in control of only isolated West Bank enclaves. Many Palestinians view the authority as corrupt, out of touch, and a subcontractor for Israel due to their joint security coordination.
The unity announcement is aimed at expanding the membership of the Fatah-led Palestine Liberation Organization to include Hamas, according to Fatah spokesperson Jamal Nazzal.
“It’s a long way ahead, and most of it will be implemented after a possible cease-fire,” he added.
Power struggles have long divided Fatah and Hamas, a rift that deepened in 2007 when Hamas violently took over the Gaza Strip following elections the year before.
This split has left the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority governing only parts of the occupied West Bank and facing increasing criticism for eroding legitimacy, as reported by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research. Israel has exerted control over both the West Bank and Gaza in different ways.
The bitter divisions and the West's refusal to accept any government that includes Hamas unless it explicitly recognises Israel has thwarted repeated attempts at reconciliation.
Image source: AP
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