Hamas, Fatah Agree to Form Unity Government in the Future

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Facts

  • Hamas and its primary rival Fatah, which runs the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, have signed a declaration in Beijing pledging to form a government together. The agreement doesn't include any guarantees or outline a timeline.1
  • The talks, which began on Sunday, included 14 Palestinian factions. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that 'an agreement has been reached on post-Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government.'2
  • The agreement posits that Gaza will be under Palestinian control after the war. Hamas and Fatah have made several attempts at reconciliation since 2006, but all have failed. Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, said the war in Gaza has motivated the two sides to again work toward unity.3
  • Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz slammed the agreement, saying that Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud Abbas was embracing Hamas. He added that 'this won’t happen because Hamas's rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar.'4
  • The accord comes as Gaza cease-fire negotiations continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families in the US on Tuesday that 'The conditions [for a deal] are undoubtedly ripening. This is a good sign.'5
  • Axios reported on Tuesday that Israel, the US, and the United Arab Emirates held a meeting last week to discuss Gaza's post-war governance, with the UAE proposing the deployment of an interim international commission to Gaza under the conditions that the PA undertakes reforms and Israel agrees to a political process based on the two-state solution.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2CNN, 3Al Jazeera, 4X (formerly Twitter), 5Reuters and 6Axios.

Narratives

  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. This doomed-to-fail accord is just another sign that Hamas is on its knees. Indeed, this agreement is a lifeline for Hamas provided by China and Abbas, though it is unlikely to produce anything meaningful. China wants to strengthen its hand in the region by preventing Hamas' demise, and Abbas simply seeks to appease a potential ally in Beijing.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Israel's genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza has changed the calculus of the Palestinian factions. If Gaza and the West Bank are under one administration, it means that Israel can no longer say that it is unable to make peace. Palestinians must be united in the face of Israel's brutality if they are to improve their situation.

Predictions