China Claims Palestinian Factions Agree on ‘National Reconciliation Government’ at Talks in Beijing

Latest Developments

The Chinese regime announced on July 23 that talks in Beijing involving 14 Palestinian factions had resulted in an agreement on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity.” The talks, which began two days earlier, brought together representatives of long-time rivals Hamas and Fatah as well as smaller factions within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and outside of it, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which, like Hamas, is backed by Iran. Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, hailed the agreement as “dedicated to the great reconciliation and unity of all 14 factions,” claiming that “an agreement has been reached on post-Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government.”

The exact role in a national unity government of Hamas — the Iranian-backed terrorist organization that ousted Fatah from Gaza during a brutal civil war in 2007 — remains unclear. Wang declared that the “core outcome is that the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) is the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people.” Neither Hamas nor PIJ is a constituent group of the PLO. According to the Israeli news outlet Globes, “the subject of a Palestinian unity government has been mentioned only by Chinese reports, and not by any senior representatives of Fatah or Hamas.” Fatah was represented by Mahmoud al-Aloul, deputy to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, while the Hamas delegation was led by Mousa Abu Marzouk, a veteran Hamas leader who was listed as a “Specially Designated Terrorist” by the U.S Treasury Department in 1995. The factions gathered in Beijing have all been involved in terrorist attacks targeting Israel, with PIJ issuing a statement following the talks disputing that an agreement had been reached and insisting that it would not be party to a formula that recognized Israel “explicitly or implicitly,” the pro-Iranian Lebanese outlet Al-Mayadeen reported. Separately, Al-Ain media in the UAE reported that the talks in China face hurdles because they do not offer a timetable for a new interim Palestinian government to be formed with Hamas and Fatah as likely participants.

Expert Analysis

“Hamas has sought to leverage the October 7 attack on Israel to increase its power in the West Bank, using its war against Israel as a battering ram to achieve power in Ramallah and replacing the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority. China is helping to pave the way through the talks in Beijing. Hamas hopes that countries such as China, Turkey, Russia, and Iran will help in the achievement of its goal of achieving its dream of taking over Palestinian institutions, presenting Israel with more terror threats from multiple fronts.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“This week’s Beijing-brokered reconciliation talks, while noteworthy, appear to be more about style than substance. In hosting Hamas representatives in Beijing, China runs the risk of being perceived as legitimizing the terrorist group at a time when it is fighting for its survival. Such a risky diplomatic gambit could have unforeseen repercussions on China’s credibility, potentially undermining its efforts to be seen as a responsible global stakeholder.” — Craig Singleton, FDD Senior Fellow and Senior Director of FDD’s China Program

Palestinian Unity Remains Elusive as Hamas Popularity Rises

The meeting in Beijing follows Russia’s hosting of unity talks between Fatah and Hamas in March, which failed to result in an agreement. The talks in Beijing, if successful, would end 17 years of division between Hamas-run Gaza and the Palestinian Authority-run West Bank. In the wake of its October 7 massacre in southern Israel, Hamas has seen its popularity increase among Palestinians.

Related Analysis

“Fatah-Hamas Unity Talks Scheduled in China as Both Factions Condemn Each Other,” FDD Flash Brief

“Russia to Host Palestinian Unity Talks,” FDD Flash Brief

“Poll: Hamas Remains Popular Among Palestinians,” FDD Flash Brief