Hamas and Fatah sign declaration in Beijing on ending yearslong rift, Chinese state media says
Ramallah (West Bank) (AP): Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah signed a declaration in Beijing on ending a yearslong rift, Chinese state media said Tuesday, taking a step toward potentially resolving the deep divide between the sides as the war in Gaza rages on.
The declaration is the result of the latest in a series of talks meant to unite the sides. Previous declarations have failed, casting doubt over whether the China-sponsored negotiations might actually lead to a resolution. It 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. But even after a deal is signed, the vision for a postwar Gaza remains in doubt, with Israel vehemently opposed to any role by Hamas in governing Gaza.
Since the current war broke out in Gaza, 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.
The two rival Palestinian groups, along with 12 other political factions, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, concluding talks that started Sunday, according to a post on social media platform Weibo from Chinese TV network CGTN.
A joint statement issued after the most recent talks in Beijing gave no details on how or when the government would be formed, saying only that it would be done “by agreement among the factions.”
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Hezbollah fires over 180 rockets, other projectiles into Israel, wounding at least 7
Beirut, Nov 24: Hezbollah fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in the group's heaviest barrage in several days, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war.
Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army centre killed one soldier and wounded 18 others on the southwestern coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon's military said. Israel's military expressed regret and said the strike occurred in an area of combat against Hezbollah, adding that its operations are directed solely against the Hezbollah group. The strike was under review.
Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the latest strike as an assault on US-led cease-fire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war.
