Palestinian factions agree to pursue unity under PLO in Beijing meeting

In a rare show of unity, 14 Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Fatah, agreed on Monday in the Chinese capital of Beijing to achieve "a comprehensive national unity" under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). 

The announcement was made in a joint statement at the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Beijing following China's invitation to intra-Palestinian talks.

The statement said the Palestinian groups "agreed on achieving a comprehensive national unity that includes all Palestinian factions within the frame of PLO, and on the commitment to the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the UN resolutions and ensuring the right of return as based in resolution 194."

The Palestinian groups also agreed on "uniting national efforts" to stop the Israeli genocide in Gaza and to resist attempts to expel Palestinians from their lands.

The Fatah Movement, Hamas Movement, Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and other Palestinian groups took part in the talks.

Earlier in April, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Fatah and Hamas representatives held "consultations on advancing intra-Palestinian reconciliation and for in-depth and candid dialogue" in Beijing.

Before the April talks, the groups also met in Moscow in February.

Similar rounds of talks were held in the past years in Türkiye, Algeria, and Egypt, but none resulted in a breakthrough in the Palestinian reconciliation process.

The Palestinian Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been politically divided since June 2007 due to sharp disagreements between the Fatah and Hamas movements.

Hamas won the majority of seats in the 2006 legislative elections. It has since taken control of the Gaza Strip, while Fatah has ruled over the West Bank.