Praise The Reconciliation Of The Palestinian Faction, Foreign Minister Retno: The Key Unity Of Efforts To Realize Peace

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi together with representatives of Palestinian factions met in Beijing. (Twitter/@SpoxCHN_LinJian)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi praised the reconciliation of Palestinian factions, saying unity is the key in efforts to realize peace.

This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Retno on the sidelines attending the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) which was held in Vientiane, Laos on July 21-27

"Unity is the key to efforts to realize Palestinian peace and future," said Foreign Minister Retno in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday, July 24.

14 different factions in Palestine, including Hamas and Fatah, two of the largest factions, agreed to unite and get rid of differences, signing what is known as the Beijing Declaration, in a meeting held in the Chinese capital on July 21-23.

"It was agreed that the declaration of Beijing by stakeholders in Palestine was a step forward in encouraging reconciliation and the unity of the Palestinian nation, especially in the midst of the conflict that took place in Gaza. Indonesia hopes that what has been agreed can be implemented," explained Foreign Minister Retno.

"The issue of unity is always conveyed by Indonesia in every meeting with factions in Palestine," added Foreign Minister Retno.

As previously reported, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the deal completed on Tuesday lays the groundwork for "temporary national reconciliation governments" to rule Gaza after the war, quoted from Al Jazeera.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "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."

At Tuesday's press conference in Beijing, representatives of the Hamas delegation Mousa Abu Marzook said they had reached an agreement to resolve "reconciliation pathways," while also using platforms in Beijing to defend the group's October 7 attacks on Israel.

"We are at a historic crossroads. Our people are rising in their efforts to fight," Abu Marzook said, quoted by CNN.

Meanwhile, Fatah said the agreement in China was likely to be carried out following a ceasefire of the conflict in Gaza.

"The agreement in China is based on the expansion of membership coverage in the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) to include other factions that have not joined," including Hamas, spokesman Fatah Jamal Nazzal said, quoted from AP.

Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) Mustapha Barghouti, one of the 14 factions who signed the agreement, said 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.