Palestinian Factions Sign Beijing Declaration for Unity Government

Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, agreed to form an interim national unity government in Beijing. The Beijing Declaration, signed during negotiations, aims to end 17 years of division. Previous efforts to reconcile the factions have failed, and the success of this deal remains uncertain.

Palestinian factions including rivals Hamas and Fatah have reached an agreement to end their long-standing divisions and form an interim national unity government during negotiations held in Beijing, China's foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. The Beijing Declaration was signed at the concluding ceremony of a dialogue involving 14 Palestinian factions, held from July 21-23 in China's capital.

Efforts by Egypt and other Arab countries to reconcile Hamas and Fatah have previously failed to resolve the 17-year power-sharing conflict. It remains to be seen whether this new agreement will withstand the complex realities on the ground. The talks in Beijing occurred amidst attempts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire deal for Gaza, which has been embroiled in conflict since October 7.

According to senior Hamas official Hussam Badran, the core achievement of the Beijing Declaration is the formation of a Palestinian national unity government to manage Palestinian affairs. Badran stated, "This forms a significant barrier against regional and international interventions that aim to impose conditions detrimental to our people's interests post-war." However, Israeli authorities and some international powers remain skeptical.

(With inputs from agencies.)