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PALESTINIAN FACTIONS

Hamas announces 'national unity' deal with Fateh and other Palestinian factions

"The most prominent highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government around the governance of post-war Gaza," Wang said following the signing of the "Beijing Declaration." 

Hamas announces 'national unity' deal with Fateh and other Palestinian factions

Members of Palestinian factions pose with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) in Beijing, July 23, 2024. (Credit: Pedro Padro/AFP)

Hamas and Fateh signed an agreement on Monday to set up an “interim government of national unity” to govern “the entire Palestinian territory,” including both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to a statement seen by L'Orient-Le Jour. The four-page document has been signed by the two rival factions, along with 12 other Palestinian factions who met in Beijing in a new Chinese-sponsored attempt to settle differences and find compromises between the various factions. 

The national unity government is expected to focus on “unifying Palestinian institutions (...), launching the reconstruction of Gaza and preparing for elections as soon as possible,” says the text, which assures that an “agenda” will be put in place to implement these decisions.

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Among the signatories to this agreement are Islamic Jihad, which has been very active on the ground since the start of the war in Gaza, as well as the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), two movements affiliated to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

"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 Hamas's October attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, including 44 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 39,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Gaza. The relentless fighting has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who hosted the Palestinian factions, said they had agreed to set up an "interim national reconciliation government" to govern post-war Gaza.

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What are the possible repercussions of the agreement on Lebanon?

In September 2023, Fateh and Islamist groups engaged in violent fighting in Ain el-Hilweh, in southern Lebanon's city of Saida, causing a dozen deaths and significant material damage.

A Hamas official in Beirut stressed that “this agreement if implemented, should have positive repercussions on the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.”

“We are in favor of national unity and a turnaround on the Palestinian scene, which will have repercussions for Palestinians abroad,” added the official, who requested anonymity. “We need a political agreement to implement it and ensure it's not just another meeting. But will the other parties be able to respect this text if they are subjected to American pressure, for example?” he wondered.

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“In Lebanon, the inter-Palestinian division is both horizontal and vertical between the various factions, but the civilians are united. This agreement should have a positive impact on the Palestinian camps, in the sense that it could strengthen security cooperation and put an end to divisions. We hope it will curb the use of the Palestinian camps by foreign actors,” said Ahmad Sakhnini, head of the FDLP in the Bourj Brajné camp.

While this agreement “is not the first of its kind, its importance lies in the fact that it comes at a time of war and brings together several factions,” he stressed. The implementation of this agreement could also have an “impact on improving the living conditions of Palestinians living in refugee camps, as well as their access to more human rights in Lebanon,” he added.

'No excuses,' said China's Foreign Minister

As for the role played by China in the conclusion of this agreement, the Hamas official contacted by OLJ insisted that this mediation “shows that there are other players than the United States or the European Union at international level.”

China has sought to play a mediator role in the conflict, which has been rendered even more complex due to the intense rivalry between Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, which partially governs the occupied West Bank. While maintaining good relations with Israel, China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, recognizing a Palestinian State and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Tuesday, Wang Yi reiterated his call for a “comprehensive, lasting and sustainable cease-fire" in Gaza as soon as possible, to ensure smooth access for humanitarian aid and relief supplies. “There can be no excuse for wounding civilians and prolonging the war,” he insisted.

"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.

He called on other countries to support this potential new Palestinian government so that it can “effectively control Gaza and the West Bank.” At the same time, Wang stressed that it must be Palestinians themselves who rule Palestine, alluding to foreign power intervention in their governance. 

In recent years, China has strengthened its trade and diplomatic relations with the Middle East, much of which is traditionally under American influence. It oversaw and facilitated the spectacular diplomatic rapprochement last year between two major regional powers — Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Asian giant had already hosted talks between Hamas and Fateh representatives in April.

China wishes to continue to “play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East,” as Wang Yi emphasized on Tuesday.


Hamas and Fateh signed an agreement on Monday to set up an “interim government of national unity” to govern “the entire Palestinian territory,” including both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to a statement seen by L'Orient-Le Jour. The four-page document has been signed by the two rival factions, along with 12 other Palestinian factions who met in Beijing in a new...