Palestinian factions - Hamas and Fatah - signed a national unity agreement on Tuesday, marking an end to their 17-year rivalry. The National Unity Agreement, brokered by China, aims to strengthen the Palestinian cause amid intense Israeli aggression.
The agreement, also referred as the Beijing Declaration, was signed after multiple rounds of talks from July 21 to 23. With this, the various factions of Palestinian political parties will come together to form an "interim national government."
What Is The Agreement About?
The agreement comes with four main aims with regards to the Palestinian cause the governance of the Palestinian territories, namely - Gaza Strip and West Bank.
The Beijing Declaration was signed between Hamas, Fatah and 14 other Palestinian factions. The agreement has the following four aims-
Establishment of an interim national government for Palestinian territories.
Creation of a unified Palestinian leadership
Free elections for a new Palestinian National Council
Establishment of a general declaration of unity in the face of ongoing Israeli attacks and aggression.
The deal was brokered by the Chinese foreign ministry. As per Wang Yi, China's foreign minister - "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.”
Why Is It Significant?
The National Unity Agreement between Palestinian factions not only shows unity amongst Gaza and West Bank but also marks the end of a 17-year-old rivalry.
Iranian-backed militant group Hamas and Palestinian Liberation Organisation's Fatah have been bitter rivals since 2006, right after Hamas gained control of Gaza after winning the national elections. Since then, Fatah has been reluctant to share power with the militant group, especially after Hamas overthrew the forces loyal to Abbas in the Gaza Strip.
Fatah, which is led by President Mahmoud Abbas, is a faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, and governs occupied West Bank. With this unity agreement, all factions will now come together to operate as one Palestinian territory, instead of being split into two.
What Does This Mean For Gaza?
With PLO representation now extending to the Gaza Strip, the chances of a ceasefire are expected to grow. The truce deal, which has been in a limbo, is in the works with mediator countries like the United States, Egypt and Qatar working to bring Israel and Hamas at a consensus.
The agreement also comes amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the United States to meet with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and address a joint session of the Congress.
However, the national unity agreement also comes with certain problems. Firstly, the US, Israel and other Western allies are unlikely to accept a Palestinian government has Hamas at the table. Israel has already condemned the agreement and stated that instead of rejecting terrorists, Fatah has "embraced the murderers and rapists of Hamas".
And secondly, the fact that the deal was brokered by China sounds the alarm for Western countries. With this deal, China is seen moving towards expanding its influence in Middle Eastern region.
Since the start of the conflict, China has called for a de-escalation of the conflict and urged the implementation of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
With the Israel-Hamas war in its 10th month, 39,000 Palestinains have been killed since October 7, 2023 due to Israeli attacks and bombardment. Meanwhile, the Hamas terror attack in southern Israel killed around 1,140 people and saw 250 taken as hostages.
