Gaza War Based On Palestinian Faction Association, PNI: There Is No Other Way Than To Unite And Fight Together

Palestinian factions meeting in China. (Source: WAFA)

JAKARTA - The war on the Gaza Strip underlies the unity of factions in Palestine at a meeting in Beijing, China, there is no other way but to unite and fight together, a senior Palestinian faction figure said.

The Fatah group, Hamas and 12 other Palestinian factions signed the so-called Beijing Declaration, following a meeting in the Chinese capital on July 21-23. It was a "national unit" agreement aimed at maintaining Palestinian control of Gaza after Israel's war in the enclave ended.

Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) Mustapha Barghouti, one of the 14 factions who signed the agreement, told Al Jazeera the agreement was "far more advanced" than has been achieved in recent years.

He said the four main elements were the formation of a temporary national unity government, the formation of a united Palestinian leadership ahead of the upcoming general elections, a new free election of the Palestinian National Council, and a general declaration of unity in the face of Israel's continuing attacks.

Barghouti said the war in Gaza was a "major factor" that motivated the Palestinians to put aside their differences.

"There is no other way than for Palestinians to unite and fight together against this terrible injustice," he said.

"The most important thing now is not only to sign the agreement, but also to implement it," he said.

He said the move towards a unity government was essential, as it "blocked Israel's efforts to create a kind of collaborative structure that opposed Palestinian interests".

The reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah will be an important turning point in the internal Palestinian relationship. The two groups have been fierce rivals since the conflict emerged in 2006 and Fatah was expelled from Gaza in 2007.

"We are at a historic crossroads," Abu Marzouk said, quoted by CNN.

"Our people are rising in their efforts to fight," he continued.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the agreement "is dedicated to great reconciliation and unity of all 14 factions."

"The bottom line is that PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) is the only legitimate representative of all Palestinians," the top Chinese diplomat said, adding, "an agreement has been reached regarding postwar governance of Gaza and the formation of a temporary national reconciliation government."

It is known that Palestinian factions who had long clashed previously failed to resolve their political disputes after Hamas fighters expelled Fatah from Gaza in a brief war in 2007.

Separately, Gaza's health authorities confirmed that the death toll of Palestinians as a result of Israeli attacks in the region since October 7, 2023 has reached 39,090 and 90,147 others have been injured. The majority of victims were women and children, quoted from WAFA.