Palestinian factions, including long-time rivals Hamas and Fatah, have signed a unity agreement in China to establish an interim national reconciliation government in Gaza post-Israeli war. The deal aims to block Israeli control of Gaza and create a unified Palestinian leadership. This agreement marks a significant development in internal Palestinian relations, with Hamas advocating for armed resistance against Israel and Fatah favoring peaceful negotiations for a Palestinian state. Past attempts at reconciliation between the two factions have failed, but the ongoing war in Gaza has pushed them to set aside their differences for the greater good.
Israel, however, strongly opposes any Hamas involvement in governing Gaza and has rejected the unity deal, promising to maintain control of the enclave. Foreign Minister Israel Katz has criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for cooperating with Hamas, asserting that Hamas’s rule will be crushed and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Despite the opposition from Israel, China has supported the reconciliation efforts, emphasizing that reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions but requires international support.
China, a mediator in the conflict, has hosted talks between Hamas and Fatah in the past and facilitated the recent negotiations that led to the unity agreement in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an international peace conference to end the war and has long been supportive of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The unity agreement is seen as a positive step towards unity and stability in Gaza, although challenges remain in implementation and acceptance from all parties involved.
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