Hamas announced on Tuesday that it had signed a “national unity” agreement with other Palestinian organizations, including its historic rival, Fatah. In a fairly unprecedented move, this rapprochement was enacted under the aegis of China, which for several months has been trying to find compromises between the different components of the Palestinian political scene. The text signed in Beijing provides for “an interim government of national reconciliation,” according to the head of Chinese diplomacy. A way of anticipating the post-war period to be taken with a pinch of salt as the Israeli offensive has continued in the Palestinian enclave for nearly 10 months.
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Hamas announced on Tuesday, July 23, that it had signed an agreement in Beijing to national unity ” with other Palestinian organizations, including its rival Fatah. This text, according to China, provides for joint governance after the war in Gaza.
Angry reaction in Israel
Unsurprisingly, Israel reacted angrily to the announcement. Foreign Minister Israel Katz lambasted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah for signing such a deal with its Hamas foes. Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China for joint control of Gaza after the war. Instead of rejecting terrorism, Mahmoud Abbas embraces Hamas murderers and rapists, revealing his true face “, declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in a press release. In reality, this will not happen because Hamas will be crushed and Abbas will observe Gaza from afar. “, he assured as the conflict drags on in the Palestinian enclave.
Restore a ” national unity »
14 factions met in Beijing in recent days in a new attempt, sponsored by the Chinato find compromises between the different components of the Palestinian political scene. The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yinotably welcomed a senior Hamas official, Moussa Abou Marzouk, as well as a Fatah envoy, Mahmoud Aloul.
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” Today we sign an agreement on national unity and we declare that the way forward to complete this process is national unity. ” said Moussa Abou Marzouk after the discussions. The announcement comes more than nine months after the start of the war in Gaza and the bloody attack on October 7th last of Hamas terrorist commandos in southernIsrael.
This agreement is a step forward in considering a post-war solution in Gaza, according to Professor Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Arab and Mediterranean Studies, contacted by Eliott Brachet of international service. Everyone is looking for a political solution for the day after, to call for a ceasefire. A ceasefire cannot be relevant if there is no political solution. Today the Beijing agreement offers this political solution through a government of national unity.
However, doubts remain as to whether such a rapprochement will come to fruition. In the past, numerous attempts at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah have failed. Above all, this agreement remains uncertain because it depends on the support of foreign powers. Vetoes will rather come ” “on the part of Israel, the United States and probably also other states that consider Hamas a terrorist organization, who will have reservations and reluctance to accept the outcome of the Beijing meeting,” “By emphasizing the reconciliation of Palestinian factions and including Hamas in a hypothetical post-war political process, China is trying to distance itself from Western diplomacy,” says Hasni Habidi.
China plays mediator
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed Tuesday’s announcement. The most significant development is the agreement to form an interim government of national reconciliation to govern the post-war Gaza. ” he told the press. Reconciliation is an internal issue for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community. “He also called on other countries to support this new Palestinian government so that it can ” effectively control Gaza and the West Bank “.
China maintains good relations with Israel, but has for decades supported the Palestinian cause, recognizing a state of Palestine and campaigning for a two-state solution. Wang Yi on Tuesday reiterated his call for a ” general, lasting and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, in order to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid and relief supplies “. ” There is no excuse for civilians to be injured and the war to be prolonged. “, he hammered home. Mr. Wang also stressed that these are ” the Palestinians themselves who must administer Palestine “, without intervention from foreign powers.
An opportunity for China to strengthen its geopolitical influence
China’s involvement in Middle East peace talks, including mediation efforts between Palestinian factions, is part of a broader strategy to strengthen its geopolitical influence and counterbalance US dominance in the region, our Beijing correspondent says. Clea Broadhurst.
China has several interests at stake. First, it is about ensuring economic stability. By promoting peace, particularly in the Middle East, Beijing guarantees the smooth running of its economic initiatives. We are thinking of the New Silk Roadswhich have led to large Chinese investments in infrastructure and energy projects across the region.
But China’s mediation efforts also allow it to exert diplomatic influence and present itself as an alternative global power to the United States. China, for example, does not impose the same political conditions that accompany U.S. aid and military support in the Middle East. Beijing’s rise is a way for countries in the region to build security, economic, and diplomatic alliances without turning their backs on the United States.
Engagement in peace processes allows China to strengthen its ties with various countries and thus exert influence on regional geopolitics. This is evidenced by its relations with Israel and Palestine and its diplomatic ties with both Ukraine and Russia.
China is playing mediator in this conflict, which has become even more complex because of the intense rivalry between Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, the nationalist political party that partially governs the occupied West Bank.
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