Palestinian factions issued a joint document after a high-level assembly in China, vying to triumph over long-standing divisions that threaten to further undermine aspirations for a state amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
The eight-point statement, shared with Newsweek on Tuesday through a senior Hamas official, was signed by the main factions of Hamas and Fatah, as well as a dozen other Palestinian teams in the process of finalization. He called for the status quo of a unified government in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem for efforts to end the confrontation between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, expel the Israeli profession from the Palestinian territories and rebuild after the longest and deadliest outbreak of violence. Palestinian-Israeli violence to date.
The move marks the latest attempt to close the rift that erupted when Hamas seized Gaza amid clashes with Fatah in 2007, a year after the Islamist organization emerged victorious in the last elections held between the West Bank-based party and Fatah. . led through the Palestinian National Authority (PA) and two years after Israel completely withdrew from decades of military rule in Gaza.
Previous reconciliation efforts have failed, but the most recent attempt sees success from China, which has demonstrated greater focus on Middle East international relations with the successful negotiation of a historic deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March 2023.
Shen Shiwei, a journalist and non-resident researcher at the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, called it “a milestone for Palestinian and regional peace,” in contrast to that of the United States, which has historically led efforts to peace over Israel. -Palestinian decades. Conflict.
“From an ancient perspective, the United States has certainly had a primal influence in terms of peacemaking,” Shen told Newsweek. “But why have they failed over and over again? One of the main reasons is that some politicians on Capitol Hill don’t need to “That’s why we’ve noticed widespread campaigns in support of the rights of the Palestinian people. “
The text of the joint Palestinian declaration, officially the “Beijing Declaration on Ending Divisions and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity,” calls for the formation of a “temporary government of national consensus. “
This government “will exercise its powers and jurisdiction over all Palestinian territories in a manner that confirms the unity of the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, provided that the government begins to unify all Palestinian settlements on the territory of the state. “
Other facets of the agreement promise to continue to “unify national efforts to confront Zionist aggression and end the war of genocide waged by the occupying state and the settler herds with the participation of the United States of America,” noting that this effort is taking hold. “under the direction and auspices of the United Nations and with broad foreign and regional participation as an option to unilateral and biased sponsorship by the United States. “
After the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that “the main final result is the confirmation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole valid representative of the entire Palestinian people. “; The culmination is the agreement on the creation of an interim government of national reconciliation. “focus on the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza; and the most powerful call is the status quo of a truly independent Palestinian state in accordance with applicable UN resolutions,” according to a statement issued through China’s Foreign Ministry.
Chinese Embassy to the United States spokesman Liu Pengyu, reached for comment, told Newsweek that “the Middle East region belongs to the other peoples of this region” and, as such, “the disorders of the Middle East deserve to be addressed. “”It will be resolved through the countries and other people in this region through consultations. “Noting the recent wave of Chinese diplomatic activities focused on the region, he said that “we have promoted peace in the Middle East. “
The initiative is made up of three major steps, of which, according to Liu, “are intertwined and are all indispensable. “
“The first step is to achieve a comprehensive, durable and viable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, and to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief on the ground are unhindered,” Liu said. “The second step is to make joint efforts for a post-conflict governance of Gaza in accordance with the precept that ‘the Palestinians rule Palestine. ‘The third step is to make Palestine a full member state of the UN and begin to implement the two-state solution. “
With the agreement in hand, he stated that “China looks forward to the day when the Palestinian factions achieve internal reconciliation and, on this basis, national unity and an independent state as soon as possible. “
He also ruled out the option of the United States continuing to play a positive role in resolving the conflict.
“We welcome and call on all parties, the United States, to continue building consensus for regional peace and stability,” Liu said. “We will continue to work tirelessly towards this end with relevant parties. “
Although the agreement was welcomed by Palestinian teams and several supporters, Israel harshly condemned it and provoked a dismissive reaction from the United States.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz temporarily denounced Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for backing him at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to inflict a decisive defeat on Hamas and expand control of Israel on Gaza.
“Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China for the union of Gaza after the war,” Katz wrote in X, formerly Twitter. “Instead of rejecting terrorism, Mahmoud Abbas embraces Hamas’s murderers and rapists, revealing his true face. In reality, this will not happen because Hamas’s strength will be crushed and Abbas will watch Gaza from afar. Security “Israel will remain only in the hands of Israel.
Netanyahu has yet to release a comprehensive plan outlining Gaza’s long-term if Hamas is defeated, however, a spokesperson for his workplace has told Newsweek in the past that such a vision includes “a demilitarized territory and a deradicalized society. “directors who have no connection to terrorism.
The plan would also allow, “for the foreseeable future,” Israel to “retain some responsibility for security in the Gaza Strip so that we do not see a resurgence of terrorism,” the president said then. spokesman.
The White House, however, has called for the withdrawal of Palestinian Authority forces from Gaza and in late May attempted to put into effect a three-phase roadmap for a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, withdrawal of Israeli forces and reconstruction of Gaza. The deal was first welcomed by Hamas, but conflicting accounts of its content have emerged in recent months, and the ongoing talks in Cairo have yet to make progress.
Responding to questions about the deal at a press conference on Tuesday, U. S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he had not yet reviewed the text of the statement, but claimed that the Biden administration’s position that “Hamas is a terrorist organization” and therefore “there can be no role” for the organization in the Gaza Strip after the conflict.
Although Hamas identified the PLO, the largely secular and left-wing coalition of Palestinian factions led by Fatah and which does not come with Hamas, as “the only valid representative of the Palestinian people” under the agreement. Array Miller argued that Hamas has not, however, in fact “accepted the principles” of the PLO, because Hamas “has not renounced terrorism, it has not renounced the use of violence to achieve its political objectives, it has not renounced the destruction of the State of Israel. “
But citing Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Miller said China had the prospect of playing a “constructive role” in the Middle East and that the Biden administration had “encouraged” China to “use its influence with countries in the region, in specific countries”. with whom they maintain relations”, specifically Iran.
Ultimately, Miller argued that he was unlikely to influence ongoing negotiations in Egypt in favor of the United States-backed plan.
“We don’t think something like this deserves to have an effect on the ongoing ceasefire discussions,” Miller said. “We believe that an agreement is in sight. It is achievable. That does not mean that ‘We will get it, but we have made progress in the negotiations. ‘
Newsweek has reached out to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U. S. State Department. for additional feedback.
However, with no palpable movement under the United States-led initiative, Shen saw an opportunity for China to intervene, as well as the potential dangers of such action beyond the summits held in Algeria, Egypt, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Arabia and Yemen over the years.
“How can China address this sensitive issue? One explanation is that China has supported the precept of ‘Palestinians rule Palestine’ by boosting peace efforts in recent years,” Shen said. “The other vital point is to pay attention to the demands. ” and considerations of the parties involved, which is for an independent reconciliation since regional issues are very confusing and delicate.
“In recent months, China has sent high-level envoys to the region to hold deeper talks with relevant parties on the basis of mutual respect,” he added. “That is why Fatah and Hamas held talks on promoting inter-Palestinian reconciliation in Beijing at the end of April. And it has laid a solid foundation for the expected progress in reconciliation. “
Shen said China has also recruited a broad coalition of stakeholders to attend the meeting, adding senior diplomats and senior representatives from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Beijing, which oversees the world’s largest diplomatic network, also brings its own geopolitical and economic clout to the negotiating table. China has a long history of supporting Palestinian factions in their struggle for statehood, dating back to the early days of the Cold War, but this stance was replaced towards the end of the century and the People’s Republic began to identify more potent relationships. with Israel after identifying formal diplomatic relations. links in 1992.
The two countries announced their “groundbreaking comprehensive partnership” in 2017, but China-Israel relations have once again faced serious upheavals with Beijing’s incursions into Hamas and the development of ties with Iran, whose allied coalition, the Axis of the Resistance, has launched attacks against Israel. since January 1, 2017. The war in Gaza began in October.
But while China now prides itself on its own three-step procedure for ending the conflict, Shen called this new step “a first step forward,” while acknowledging that “achieving lasting peace is not a simple task. “, still calls for “a lot of work”.
Khaled Elgindy, a fellow at the Middle East Institute and a former Palestinian Authority negotiator, said that “China, of course, is trying to position itself as a primary political player in the region, especially since intra-Palestinian issues are not something Washington can or do. It would suppose. “
But he expressed some skepticism about the document’s hopes of progress.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much new in the newest thing from Beijing,” Elgindy told Newsweek. “Given the unprecedented, even existential, threats facing Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, there is a pressing need for a unitary solution and coherent political leadership. “
“Hamas and Fatah sense this and will have to make progress on the internal reconciliation front, but what has emerged from Beijing is necessarily a reiteration of past principles,” he added. “There is general agreement (and has been for some time) on the need for a national consensus government, the restructuring of the PLO, the reconstruction of Gaza, etc. , but there is no agreement on the main points or precise steps of implementation. “
The challenge is rooted in part in the long-term uncertainty facing Abbas and the 88-year-old leaders of the Palestinian Authority, amid a crisis of historical legitimacy exacerbated by the frontline role of Hamas and other factions in the war in Gaza, by strengthening the Israeli army and settlers. activity in the West Bank and common allegations of corruption. Polls continue to show that Hamas surpasses Fatah in terms of popularity.
In addition to Hamas and Fatah, other teams present at the Beijing assembly were the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian People’s Party, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, the Palestinian National Initiative Party, the General Command of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian Democratic Union, the Palestinian Liberation Front, the Arab Liberation Front, the Palestinian Arab Front and Al-Saiqa.
As the Hamas-led war effort continues to grow among Palestinians despite condemnation from Israel and the United States, an upgrade could further isolate Abbas.
“Abbas in particular is in no rush to move toward reconciliation, both because he does not need a percentage of strength with Hamas and because that would most likely result in direct retaliation from Israel and also from Congress,” Elgindy said. “The sad truth is that as long as Abbas is alive, I doubt we will see any genuine progress on the reconciliation front. “
Update 23/07/2024, 8:23 p. m. ET: This article has been updated with the Chinese Embassy’s comments to the United States’s spokesperson, Liu Pengyu, as well as a new title.
Tom O’Connor, based in Staten Island, New York, is an award-winning senior foreign policy editor and deputy editor of National Security and Foreign Policy at Newsweek, where he specializes in covering the Middle East, North Korea, China, and Russia. and other spaces for foreign business, relations and conflicts.
In the past he has written for the International Business Times, the New York Post, the Daily Star (Lebanon) and the Staten Island Advance. His paintings have been cited in more than 1,800 educational articles, government reports, books, news articles and other scholarly and media bureaucracy around the world. He has contributed to studies in various foreign media outlets and has participated in International Relations Track II similar to the Middle East, as well as scholarships at the Korea Society and the Japan Foreign Press Center. .
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