UPDATE - Palestinian factions pledge to 'end divisions' during Beijing talks

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Palestinian factions have pledged to end divisions during their reconciliatory talks in Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced on Tuesday.

The representatives inked the declaration “pledging to end division and strengthen unity."

Representatives from 14 groups of Palestinians have held talks in Beijing since Sunday.

Video footage released by Chinese state media showed Wang walking along with the representatives of the Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, after their meeting held in Beijing.

Wang hailed the Beijing declaration signed by the Palestinian factions to form an “interim national reconciliation government” to govern Gaza after the war, media reports said.

“The most prominent highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government for post-war Gaza,” Wang said.

“Reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but it cannot be achieved without international community support,” said the top Chinese diplomat.

China aims to “play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East,” Wang added.

Senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzuk, who attended the meeting, said: “Today we sign an agreement for national unity and we say that the path to completing this journey is national unity. We are committed to national unity and we call for it.”