Palestinian groups confirm commitment to success of China's mediation for reconciliation

By Abdelsalam Fayez

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Palestinian Hamas and Fatah groups on Monday announced their commitment to the success of China's mediation efforts to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation.

This comes in two separate statements as both rivals blamed each other for obstructing Tuesday's scheduled expanded national dialogue meeting in the Chinese capital Beijing.

In a statement, Hussam Badran, responsible for national relations within the Hamas group, said his group "responded to the invitation of the friends in China related to achieve the Palestinian national unity," stressing that the group dealt with "high positivity and great responsibility."

He added that Tuesday's scheduled meeting was agreed based on the bilateral meeting between Hamas and Fatah held in Beijing in April, and was planned to be an expanded meeting that includes several Palestinian groups.

Badran noted that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas informed the Chinese side of his rejection to participate in the expanded meeting.

For its part, the Fatah Movement voiced appreciation for China's efforts that hosted the national dialogue meeting between Fatah and Hamas.

In a statement cited by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Fatah held Hamas responsible for the failure of all previous dialogues between them.

Commenting on President Abbas's rejection to attend the meeting in Beijing, the statement said Fatah is committed to the national dialogue in China, and works to complete the preparations for a suitable atmosphere to make the Chinese mediation successful.

In April, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said representatives of Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas held “consultations on advancing intra-Palestinian reconciliation and for in-depth and candid dialogue” in Beijing.

Before the Beijing talks in April, both groups also held similar talks in Moscow in February.

Similar rounds of talks took place in the past years in Türkiye, Algeria, and Egypt but all failed to bring a breakthrough in the Palestinian reconciliation file.

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 a majority in the legislative elections of 2006. Since then, it has controlled the Gaza Strip, and Fatah has governed the West Bank.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar