Palestinian factions, such as Hamas and Fatah, have reached a consensus in Beijing, China on "ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity," as informed on Tuesday.
China's Foreign Ministry said the announcement followed reconciliation discussions with 14 Palestinian factions, as China aims to mediate in the conflict while Israel battles Hamas in Gaza.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the focus of the agreement was to bring together all 14 factions for the purpose of reconciliation and unity.
Wang declared that the primary outcome is that the PLO is the sole legitimate spokesperson for all Palestinians. He also stated that an agreement has been reached on the governance following the Gaza conflict, along with the establishment of a temporary national unity government.
Wang did not clarify in his statements the level of involvement Hamas, a group distinct from the PLO, would have in this agreement, or the immediate impacts of the deal. Conversations occurred as the fate of Palestinian territories remains unclear, following Israel's pledge to eradicate Hamas in response to their assault on October 7.
Fatah holds authority over both the PLO and the PA, the interim Palestinian administration established in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. Hamas did not take part in the agreements and refuses to recognize Israel.
During the Beijing talks, President Mustafa Barghouti from the Palestinian National Initiative declared that all sides agreed to join the PLO, which is recognized as the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Hamas and Fatah have a long-standing history of hostile enmity. Both sides have tried to reach a consensus to bring together the two separate Palestinian territories under one ruling authority, but a 2017 agreement fell apart because of violence.
The Palestinian Authority controlled Gaza until 2007 when Hamas, following their victory in the 2006 legislative elections, forced them out of the strip.
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