Palestinian factions sign unity deal in China, sparking outrage in Israel
Beijing said an 'agreement has been reached on post-Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government,' but sources tell i24NEWS it is 'meaningless'
The Hamas terrorist organization and Palestinian Authority (PA) ruling Fatah party signed a unity deal in Beijing, China, prompting Foreign Minister Israel Katz to rail against the agreement on Tuesday.
"Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China for joint control of Gaza after the war," Katz said in an X post. "Instead of rejecting terrorism, [PA President] Mahmoud Abbas embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face. In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas's rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel's security will remain solely in Israel's hands."
While both Fatah and Hamas praise the Palestinian faction reconciliation agreement reached today through Chinese mediation, senior members in both parties say the agreement itself is meaningless. What matters are the intentions of the sides, but given there have been over 20 such agreement in the past, there is no expectation this time around will be any different. The sources added that the different factions have already voiced reservations over the agreement, dampening its chances to succeed.
The deal included other Palestinian factions as well, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who praised the "great reconciliation and unity" promised by the agreement.
"The core outcome is that the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) is the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people," Wang said.
In addition to the unity deal, Wang added that "an agreement has been reached on post-Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government."
"Today we sign an agreement for national unity," said the Hamas representative, Mousa Abu Marzouk. "And we say that the path to completing this journey is national unity. We are committed to national unity and we call for it."
"We’re at a historic junction," he added. "Our people are rising up in their efforts to struggle."
The two main Palestinian parties have signed several agreements in the past decades, including one that fell apart in 2017.
In 2006, Hamas participated in elections, winning a majority that was not respected by the Palestinian Authority. Since then, the two have been unable to reconcile, with Hamas violently taking control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.