Palestinian factions say working to achieve comprehensive unity including all forces

​​​​​​​By Anadolu staff

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Palestinian factions said Friday that they would continue to work to achieve “comprehensive national unity” that includes all forces and factions in the country.

“The Palestinian factions agreed to continue upcoming rounds of dialogue to reach a comprehensive national unity that includes all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,” the Palestinian factions said in a statement following the conclusion of meetings held over two days in the Russian capital Moscow.

Factions expressed their agreement to "confront the criminal Israeli aggression and genocidal war against our people in the Gaza Strip and to thwart attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their homeland.”

It indicated that the meetings concluded with work to "force the (Israeli) occupation army to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and prevent attempts to control any part of the Gaza Strip under the pretext of buffer zones.”

The Palestinian factions saluted South Africa for its support for the Palestinian people and its fundamental role in filing a case before the International Court of Justice to “hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the crime of genocide” it is committing in the Gaza Strip.

The factions pointed to “the positive, constructive spirit that prevailed at the meetings in light of the criminal Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people.”

Representatives of Palestinian political forces have gathered in the Russian capital Moscow, and consultations are expected to last till Saturday.

Israel started its war on Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas. It has since killed more than 30,200 Palestinians and pushed the territory to the brink of famine.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, the party that dominates the Palestinian Authority, which in part administers the occupied West Bank, are the two largest Palestinian factions.

Some states have floated the idea of a technocratic government for Palestinians, a step in efforts to make progress toward talks on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it is unclear how things could move forward until Hamas and Fatah work out their long-running differences.

It has also been suggested that the Palestinian Authority govern Gaza after the war ends.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi