(23 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:
AGENCY POOL
Beijing – 23 July 2024
1. Various of Fatah party deputy chair Mahmoud Aloul signing
2. Hamas senior official Musa Abu Marzuk walking in and shaking hands with Mahmoud aloul
3. Various of Musa Abu Marzuk signing
4. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister:
“This is an important historical moment for the Palestinian liberation cause. China appreciates the efforts made by all parties towards reconciliation and sincerely congratulates them on reaching an agreement and signing the important Beijing Consensus.”
5. Wide of official gets up after signing
6. Wide of officials shaking hands
7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister:
“Only when all factions in Palestine speak with one voice can the voice of justice be louder. Only by joining hands and advancing side by side can the cause of national liberation achieve success.“
8. Various of Palestinian officials and Wang taking group photos
9. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister:
“Gaza is an integral and inseparable part of Palestine. The international community should support the Palestinian factions in forming an interim government on the national consensus, so as to effectively control Gaza and the West Bank.“
10. Wang walking down from the podium and shaking hands with Palestinian officials
STORYLINE:
Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a declaration in Beijing on ending a yearslong rift, taking a step toward potentially resolving the deep divide between the sides as the war in Gaza rages on.
The declaration by the two heavyweights of Palestinian politics — and other smaller Palestinian groups — to form a unity government for the Palestinian territories is the result of the latest in a series of talks meant to unite the sides.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it was an important step after the signing ceremony.
But previous declarations have failed, including a similar deal in 2011, casting doubt over whether the China-sponsored negotiations might actually lead to a resolution. It also comes as Israel and Hamas are weighing an internationally backed cease-fire proposal that would wind down the nine-month war and free dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Still, the future of Gaza is undecided, with Israel vehemently opposed to any role by Hamas in governing Gaza. It has also rejected calls from the United States for the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority to run Gaza after the war ends. The lack of a postwar vision for running the Gaza Strip has complicated negotiations over a cease-fire.
Since the current war broke out in Gaza almost 10 months ago, Hamas officials have said that the party does not want to return to ruling Gaza as it did before the conflict, and the group has called for formation of a government of technocrats to be agreed upon by the various Palestinian factions, which would prepare the way for elections for both Gaza and the West Bank, with the intention of forming a unified government.
The two groups signed the Beijing Declaration on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
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