Agreement between Hamas and Fatah to form a temporary national reconciliation government
The Chinese Foreign Minister confirms that the Beijing agreement addresses the management of Gaza after the war, one of the points that has been under discussion by various parties for months.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached between 14 Palestinian factions to form a “temporary national reconciliation government” to manage Gaza after the war. This progress, described as significant, requires understandings to be implemented on the ground amidst field challenges and sharp disagreements on many details.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, a leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), announced that Hamas, along with Fatah and other factions, signed a “national unity” agreement at the end of a meeting hosted by the Chinese capital.
“Today, we are signing a national unity agreement, stating that the path to complete this journey is national unity,” Abu Marzouk said. “We adhere to national unity and call for it,” he added.
This agreement comes in the midst of the ongoing war for over nine months between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The war erupted after an unprecedented attack launched by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the death of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to a count based on official Israeli figures.
During the attack, 251 people were kidnapped, 116 of whom are still held in Gaza. The Israeli army says 44 of them were killed.
The Hebrew state has vowed to “eradicate” the Palestinian movement and has since launched a military campaign that has killed more than 39,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry of Hamas.
The war has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, pushing the Gaza Strip and its more than two million inhabitants to the brink of famine, according to international humanitarian organizations.
Wang Yi emphasized that the agreement addresses “the management of Gaza after the war,” one of the points that has been under discussion by various parties for months.
During the signing of the “Beijing Declaration” by the factions in Beijing, he said: “The most important point is the agreement to form a temporary national reconciliation government to manage Gaza after the war,” stressing that “reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time, it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community.”
Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 after clashes with Fatah, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which ended with the expulsion of the latter from the territory, besieged by Israel since then. The crisis began after Hamas‘s victory in the 2006 elections in Gaza. Although several agreements have been concluded between the two parties since then, reconciliation attempts have not borne tangible fruit.
However, the war in Gaza has revived calls for dialogue. Beijing hosted a meeting between Fatah and Hamas in April, where another meeting was agreed upon for June, before it was postponed.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry at the time expressed hope that it could push towards “reconciliation between the Palestinians.”
Wang Yi stressed on Tuesday that China is keen to “play a constructive role in protecting peace and stability in the Middle East.”
He confirmed that Beijing calls for a “comprehensive, lasting, and sustainable ceasefire,” in addition to efforts to support Palestinian autonomy and recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations. China has long shown sympathy for the Palestinian cause and supported the two-state solution.
