China says rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah expressed a political will for reconciliation during talks Tuesday in Beijing.
Representatives of the groups were invited by China and "had discussions on many specific issues and made encouraging progress," said Lin Jian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
The meeting is China's latest attempt to mediate conflicts in the Middle East as an alternative to the United States and its Western allies, which have shown strong support for Israel.
The Beijing meeting comes nearly six months after Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza in response to the militant group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel.
Fatah's rule of the West Bank is under threat due to an increased Israeli presence in the region.
The two Palestinian factions have clashed since political disputes in 2007 when Hamas fighters expelled Fatah from the Gaza Strip during a short war.
Hamas and Fatah discussed a unity government in 2006 after Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections. Ismail Haniyeh, former Hamas prime minister, refused to head a government that recognized Israel, while President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction sought “peace agreements” with Israel.
The two groups reached an agreement under which the unity government, including Hamas, would "respect" Fatah’s peace agreements. But Hamas avoided the agreement and did not recognize Israel.
Israel and the U.S. refused to recognize the unity government and imposed economic sanctions. The unity government collapsed, leading to disputes that ended with Hamas' 2007 takeover of Gaza.
Hamas is still devoted to destroying Israel. The U.S. and European countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist group.
China has long been aligned with the Palestinian cause as a part of its Cold War strategy to bolster relations with the developing world and undermine Western support for Israel.
The groups “highly appreciated China's firm support for the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights,” Lin said. They “thanked the Chinese side for its efforts to help strengthen Palestinian internal unity and reached an agreement on ideas for future dialogue.”
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
