In China, Hamas and Fatah reach reconciliation agreement.

• The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Fatah dates back to the 2006-2007 civil war in Gaza.
• The rival groups have a history of signing reconciliation pacts, but then resuming hostilities due to ongoing disputes.
• China's growing role in international diplomacy is significant.

Following talks in China, Hamas and Fatah have agreed to end their longstanding conflict and establish a national unity government.

The reconciliation dialogue among Palestinian factions ended on July 23 with the signing of the 'Beijing Declaration' on ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity, as reported by Chinese state media outlet CGTN on Weibo.

Since Sunday, the "intra-Palestinian reconciliation dialogue" has been taking place in Beijing, as described by the official media.

The recent reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah signifies a significant development, as the two parties have been bitter enemies since the 2006-2007 civil war in the Gaza Strip. At the time, Fatah, the Palestinian political party that governed both the West Bank and the Gaza enclave, was violently ousted from the latter territory following Hamas' election victory in the Strip in 2006.

Since then, Hamas has governed the Gaza enclave and is currently engaged in a fierce conflict with Israel. The conflict began after Hamas-led terror attacks on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 deaths in Israel and the kidnapping of 253 people by Hamas into the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli estimates. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Kingdom.

Nearly 39,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed by Israel's retaliatory assaults in the past months, as per health authorities in the enclave.

Hussam Badran, a senior Hamas official involved in the negotiations, stated through a Reuters-cited statement that the declaration was made at a crucial moment during Israel's Gaza conflict and represented a positive step towards achieving Palestinian national unity.

The Palestinian National Liberation Movement, or Fatah, is led by Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.

The agreement, signed by 14 Palestinian factions, was hailed as a "historic moment for the cause of Palestine's liberation" by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Hamas and Fatah have a history of signing reconciliation agreements, but these agreements have often fallen apart due to ongoing disputes.

"Before everyone gets excited and files a batch of stories about China as the Middle East's new diplomatic power, it's important to remember that Hamas and Fatah have signed reconciliation agreements in Algiers, Cairo, Doha, Mecca, and Sana'a since 2006, but none of them have resulted in reconciliation," Gregg Carlstrom wrote in a post on X.

The consensus among signatories to build an interim unity government with China's support was highlighted in statements following the talks. However, long-time observers of the region pointed out that the success of diplomatic efforts cannot be determined solely by meetings and declarations.

CNBC reported that Taufiq Rahim, principal at 2040 Advisory and author of "Middle East in Crisis & Conflict: A Primer," stated that since 2007, there have been multiple rounds of negotiation and provisional agreements aimed at reconciliation, but all of them have failed.

"The implementation is where the devil lies, given the uncertainties on the ground and the upcoming US elections, the deal could be easily upended."

In March 2023, China played a significant role in international diplomacy by brokering a historic normalization agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.