BEIJING: Palestinian movement Hamas announced on Tuesday it had signed an agreement in Beijing with other Palestinian organisations including Fatah to work together for "national unity", with China describing it as a deal to rule Gaza together once the war ends.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who hosted senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzuk, Fatah envoy Mahmud al-Aloul and emissaries from 12 other Palestinian groups, said they had agreed to set up an "interim national reconciliation government" to govern post-war Gaza.
"Today we sign an agreement for national unity and we say that the path to completing this journey is national unity. We are committed to national unity and we call for it," Abu Marzuk said after meeting Wang and the other envoys.
The announcement comes more than nine months into a war sparked by October attack on southern Israel.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 39,000 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Gaza.
The relentless fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis. China has sought to play a mediator role in the conflict between Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip, and in the occupied West Bank.
While it is unclear whether the deal announced in Beijing on Tuesday can hold, it does indicate that the only world power that can engineer a rapprochement between the Palestinians is China.
As Tuesday's meeting wrapped up in Beijing, Wang said the groups had committed to "reconciliation".
"The most prominent highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government around the governance of post-war Gaza," Wang said after the factions signed the "Beijing declaration" in the Chinese capital.
"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," Wang said.
Fatah official Mahmoud al-Aloul thanked China for its "unending support" for the Palestinian cause. "To China, you have our love, you have all our friendship, from all the Palestinian people," he said.
Also present at Tuesday's meeting were envoys from Egypt, Algeria and Russia, according to Wang. Egypt, which neighbours Israel and Gaza, is a key mediator in the conflict. Algeria is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and has drafted resolutions on the war.
China, Wang said, was keen to "play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East". He also called for a "comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire", as well as efforts to promote Palestinian self-governance and full recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN. — AFP
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