Hamas and Fatah sign unity agreement in Beijing
China brokered a reconciliation deal between the rival Palestinian factions

What happened
Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, have signed a unity agreement aimed at "ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity," China said Tuesday.
Who said what
The deal, finalized after three days of intensive talks, lays the groundwork for an "interim national reconciliation government" to rule post-war Gaza, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. The "core outcome" is that the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) is the "sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people."
It was "unclear from Wang's comments what role Hamas, which is not part of the PLO, would play," said CNN.
What next?
Reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah would be a "key turning point" in internal Palestinian relations, said Al Jazeera. The two main political parties in the Palestinian territory have been "bitter rivals" since a power struggle in 2006 erupted into a civil war that left Hamas in control of Gaza while Fatah retained power in the West Bank.
The Beijing-brokered accord is part of China's bid to "play a more direct role in international politics," the BBC said. Beijing continues to push a "vision of a Chinese-led world order" while criticizing what it sees as the "failures of US 'hegemonic' leadership."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’
Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
‘Criminals aren’t waiting for Congress to act’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
TikTok: A little help from Trump’s friends
Feature Trump’s new TikTok deal would hand the app over to 'his billionaire allies,' ignoring national security concerns
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?
Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
Your Party: a Pythonesque shambles
Talking Point Comical disagreements within Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's group highlight their precarious position
-
Should Tony Blair run Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM is a key figure in plans for a post-war Palestine and could take up a formal leadership position
-
UN panel finds Israeli genocide in Gaza
Speed Read The report found that Israeli leaders had committed ‘four of the five “genocidal acts”’ prohibited under the U.N. Genocide Convention
-
China: Xi seeks to fill America’s void
Feature Trump’s tariffs are pushing nations eastward as Xi Jinping focuses on strengthening ties with global leaders