Hamas and Fatah, longtime rivals, signed an agreement in Beijing to work together for national unity and govern Gaza once the war ends. Hosted by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, this historic pact aims to form an interim national reconciliation government. This deal comes amid a devastating conflict between Hamas and Israel, which has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis. China’s role as a mediator underscores its growing influence in the Middle East, as it calls for a lasting ceasefire and full recognition of a Palestinian state.

China described the pact as a plan to manage Gaza jointly after the war, but Hamas stated on Tuesday that it had inked one in Beijing with other Palestinian organizations, including rivals Fatah, to work together for “national unity”.

After receiving top Hamas official Musa Abu Marzuk, Fatah ambassador Mahmud al-Aloul, and emissaries from twelve other Palestinian organizations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the parties had decided to establish a “interim national reconciliation government” to oversee Gaza after the war reports Hürriyet Daily News.

“Today we sign an agreement for national unity and we say that the path to completing this journey is national unity. We are committed to national unity and we call for it,” Abu Marzuk said after meeting Wang and the other envoys.

The statement coincides with over nine months of a conflict that began with Hamas’s October offensive on southern Israel, which, according to an AFP count based on Israeli numbers, claimed 1,197 lives, the majority of them civilians.

In addition, 251 hostages were taken by the terrorists; 116 of them remain in Gaza, 44 of whom the Israeli military claims are dead.

Data from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza show that over 39,000 individuals have died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory military operation in Gaza, the majority of whom were civilians.

A serious humanitarian crisis has emerged in Gaza as a result of the ceaseless conflict.

China has attempted to act as a mediator in the conflict, which has become much more complicated because of the fierce rivalry between Fatah, which controls part of the occupied West Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

Israel has sworn to fight until it eliminates Hamas, and major international countries, such as the United States, which is a major supporter of Israel, have rushed to come up with plans for what would happen to Gaza after the war.

Wang declared that the factions had pledged to “reconciliation” as the summit in Beijing on Tuesday came to an end.

Wang stated, “The most prominent highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government around the governance of post-war Gaza,” about the “Beijing declaration” that the various groups in the Chinese capital signed.

“Reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time, it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community,” Wang said.

‘Peace and stability’ 

He went on to say that China was eager to “play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East”.

Wang stated that Beijing was calling for a “comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire” in addition to pushing for the U.N. to fully recognize a Palestinian state and support Palestinian self-governance.

Since Hamas soldiers drove Fatah out of the Gaza Strip following fatal hostilities that followed Hamas’s overwhelming victory in an election in 2006, Hamas and Fatah have been fierce enemies.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Fatah is in charge of the Palestinian Authority, which has some administrative authority.

Despite the failure of multiple attempts at reconciliation, calls have intensified following the October attack by Hamas, the nine-month conflict in Gaza, and the spike in violence in the West Bank, home of Fatah.

April saw China host Fatah and Hamas, but a June meeting was rescheduled.

China has long supported a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and shown sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

Recently, GreatGameInternational reported that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for its immediate end.