Palestinian factions sign declaration in Beijing to strengthen unity

Representatives of Palestinian factions signed a statement in Beijing on Tuesday pledging to end division and strengthen unity, which officials and observers said marked a key step toward promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation and creating conditions for ending the Gaza conflict.

The statement was signed after three days of reconciliation talks between 14 factions, including the two largest Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah.

This is the first meeting of the 14 Palestinian groups in Beijing, which China says offers hope to the Palestinian people in the abyss of misery. Representatives of Fatah and Hamas had held talks in April in Beijing on promoting reconciliation between Palestinians.

The talks, which were hosted and coordinated by China, also highlighted the country’s role as a reliable peace broker, analysts said.

The declaration proposes to organize an international conference with broad participation and full authority. It also calls for achieving comprehensive national unity, including all Palestinian factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the closing ceremony of the talks on Tuesday that the most important consensus reached in the talks was the reconciliation and unity of the 14 factions, and the main outcome is that the Palestine Liberation Organization is the sole legitimate representative of all the Palestinian people.

Wang said a highlight of the talks was an agreement on post-conflict governance of Gaza and the establishment of an interim government of national reconciliation. He added that a strong call for the achievement of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions was expressed in the talks.

Calls for internal reconciliation have been growing since the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict erupted in October, a protracted conflict that has brought chaos and disaster to the Middle East.

Calling the Palestinian issue the core issue of the Middle East, Wang said China has no selfish interests in the issue and remains a staunch advocate of justice and fairness.

Wang called for a comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire to ensure access and implementation of humanitarian assistance, stressing upholding the principle of “Palestinians govern Palestine” in the post-war reconstruction of Gaza.

He also stressed the importance of Palestine’s full membership in the UN and the implementation of the two-state solution.

Mahmoud al-Aloul, deputy head of Fatah, and Mousa Abu Marzouk, who represented the Hamas delegation, expressed their gratitude to China for supporting and helping Palestine, as well as for the country’s efforts to uphold justice for Palestine in the international community.

Liu Zhongmin, a professor of Middle East studies at Shanghai International Studies University, said the talks and the resulting declaration play a crucial role in forming a unified voice and stance within Palestine, which is an essential step toward resolving the Palestinian issue and realizing peace and stability in the Middle East.

The complexity of the Palestinian issue has long been reflected not only in the conflict with Israel but also in internal divisions, in particular the long-standing conflict between Hamas and Fatah, Liu said.

Internal division has hampered the implementation of the two-state solution and the progress of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, he said, adding that the latest reconciliation talks are conducive to creating conditions for the resumption of negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

More talks and specific agreements are needed to consolidate consensus and resolve internal differences in Palestine, Liu said.

China’s fair and just stance in its Middle East policy, coupled with its traditional friendships with various parties, enabled Beijing to act as a mediator, he added.

Yu Guoqing, a researcher at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said promoting reconciliation between Palestinian factions is another significant effort by China to advance peace and stability in the Middle East, following Beijing’s successful diplomatic mediation for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran last year.

Despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, China managed to bring together representatives of 14 Palestinian factions from different countries and regions in Beijing for talks, demonstrating the country’s responsibility as a major country, he said.