BEIJING: In a rare show of solidarity, representatives of 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, on Tuesday jointly pledged to end their divisions and strengthen Palestinian unity by signing the Beijing Declaration.
The announcement was made at the conclusion of a three-day reconciliation dialogue from July 21 to 23 in Beijing following China’s invitation to intra-Palestinian reconciliation talks.
At the closing ceremony of the dialogue, Fatah voiced its appreciation for China, saying China’s support for Palestine has never stopped and has been increasing in recent years.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also attended the closing ceremony.
Speaking to CGTN, Rong Ying, senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, stressed that the signing of the Beijing Declaration is a milestone for Palestine’s internal reconciliation.
This is the first time since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict that the Palestinian factions have reached a reconciliation agreement, Rong pointed out, adding the joint statement is of great positive significance to the realization of unity and reconciliation among the Palestinian and Israeli factions.
Rong also said the meeting of Palestinian representatives marks another key achievement in China’s Middle East diplomacy following China’s promotion of the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation, which fully demonstrates China’s role as a great power and as an influential mediator for international conflicts.
In April, rival factions Hamas and Fatah met in Beijing to discuss reconciliation efforts to end around 17 years of disputes. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
