Hamas and Fatah sign unity agreement in Beijing

Mahmoud al-Aloul, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of Palestinian organisation and political party Fatah, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Mussa Abu Marzuk, senior member of Hamas

(Image credit: Pedro Pardo / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)

By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK

published 24 July 2024

What happened

Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, have signed a unity agreement aimed at "ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity," China said Tuesday.

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.

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."

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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.