Hamas, Fatah sign deal on Gaza administration, Israel opposes

Hamas, Fatah sign deal on future Gaza administration — Mahmoud al-Aloul (L), Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of Palestinian organisation and political party Fatah, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C), and Mussa Abu Marzuk, senior member of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, attend an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, July 23, 2024. Photo: Pool/via AP.

BEIJING,— Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, have reached an agreement to establish a unity government following discussions in Beijing, China. This move, announced on Tuesday by Beijing, aims to create a post-war administration for Gaza, although Israel quickly dismissed the deal as it continues its efforts to dismantle Hamas.

Experts suggest that the implementation of this agreement will be fraught with challenges, notably the longstanding animosity between the Palestinian groups and the Western resistance to any governance role for Hamas.

No specific timeline has been outlined for the agreement’s implementation.

The accord, known as the Beijing Declaration, was signed at the conclusion of a reconciliation dialogue that took place from July 21-23 in China’s capital.

This dialogue involved 14 Palestinian factions and represents the latest attempt to bridge the Palestinian national divide, a goal that has eluded mediators since 2007 when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip following a brief civil war with Fatah.

The talks occurred amidst ongoing efforts by mediators to secure a ceasefire after nine months of conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. A major sticking point in these efforts has been the “day-after” plan, which concerns the governance of the Hamas-controlled enclave once the conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, concludes.

Hamas praised the declaration, stating it formed a “barrier against all regional and international interventions that seek to impose realities against our people’s interests.”

However, there was no immediate response from Fatah, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Earlier in March, Abbas appointed Mohammad Mustafa, one of his allies, to lead a new Palestinian Authority (PA) government.

Israel’s disapproval was swiftly voiced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who criticized Abbas for aligning with “the murderers and rapists of Hamas” instead of “rejecting terrorism.”

Katz declared on social media platform X that Hamas’ governance would be dismantled, asserting that Israel’s security would remain under Israeli control.

Hamas, labeled a terrorist organization by Western nations even before the October 7 attacks, has previously indicated a willingness to abstain from post-war governance in Gaza, seeking instead a technocratic PA government in agreement with Fatah.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his aim to obliterate the militant, Iran-backed Hamas and firmly opposes its involvement in any post-war administration for Gaza.

Netanyahu’s right-wing government, which opposes Palestinian aspirations for an independent state, also rejects the idea of a revitalized PA governing Gaza, a proposal supported by the United States and its Arab allies.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted that the agreement’s key component is the formation of an interim national reconciliation government, tasked with overseeing Gaza and the West Bank post-war.

Senior Hamas official Hussam Badran added that this unity government would also handle reconstruction efforts and set the stage for elections.

However, Ashraf Abouelhoul, a specialist in Palestinian affairs and managing editor of the Egyptian state-owned paper Al-Ahram, expressed skepticism. He noted that similar agreements in the past have failed to materialize and emphasized that nothing would proceed without U.S. approval.

Abouelhoul pointed out that the United States, Israel, and Britain unanimously reject any role for Hamas in post-war governance, dubbing the Beijing talks as merely “a celebratory event.” He argued that resolving the deep-seated issues between Palestinian factions in just three days is unrealistic.

Despite these hurdles, the agreement underscores China’s expanding influence in the Middle East. This follows Beijing’s successful mediation of a landmark peace deal between long-standing regional adversaries, Saudi Arabia and Iran, the previous year.

Chinese officials have increasingly advocated for Palestinian causes in international forums, calling for a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace conference and a clear timetable for implementing a two-state solution.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, launched a brutal Islamic State-style attack on southern Israeli communities and military bases, resulting in over 1,200 deaths. The Israeli military reports that Hamas is currently holding 253 hostages in Gaza.

In response, Israel initiated a campaign to eradicate Gaza’s Hamas rulers, vowing to eliminate the group following the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israeli history.

Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by countries including the United States, Canada, Egypt, the European Union, Israel, and Japan.

Recent estimates from Gaza health officials, who are associated with Hamas, claim that over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict. However, these figures are widely regarded as unreliable due to the officials’ affiliations with Hamas, and the actual number of casualties is believed to be significantly lower.

(With files from Reuters)