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Chinese state media reported that Palestinian’s two main rival factions, Hamas and Fatah, have signed a declaration pledging to end long-standing rifts and fight for “Palestinian unity” under a deal brokered by Beijing.
The agreement was reached at the end of reconciliation talks in Beijing, where 14 Palestinian political factions met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
State-run CCTV reported on Tuesday that Hamas and Fatah had signed the Beijing Declaration, which includes a commitment to “end divisions and strengthen Palestinian unity.”
Wang said the unification agreement was “dedicated to the great reconciliation and unity of all 14 factions.”
“The core achievement is for the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) to become the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinians,” Wang said.
He added that “an agreement has been reached on governance after the Gaza war and on the establishment of a transitional national reconciliation government.”
The PLO is an internationally recognised coalition of political parties that signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1993 and holds permanent observer status at the United Nations. Fatah controls both the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while Hamas governs the Gaza Strip.
Hamas is not currently a member of the PLO, and it is unclear what role it will play under the new agreement.
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