Representatives from the Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah plan to hold another round of consultations in mid-June in Beijing, focusing on normalizing relations and addressing post-conflict governance in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources.
According to these sources, Fatah will insist that Hamas recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the only legitimate representative of the Palestinians and commit to the agreements signed by the PLO. In return, Hamas expects Fatah to agree to the establishment of a new Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Hamas leadership understands that representatives of their movement will not be able to join the new internationally recognized government even after the end of the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip, one of the agency's interlocutors added.
Previously, Hamas and Fatah representatives held talks in Moscow and Beijing, expressing their desire to reconcile and achieve Palestinian unity. However, Reuters sources indicate that the chances of successful consultations remain low due to the fundamentally different positions on negotiations with Israel, which Hamas refuses to recognize.
The Oslo talks in the 1990s resulted in mutual recognition between the PLO and Israel. The signed documents established self-government in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including the creation of the Palestinian National Authority as the supreme authority and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) with parliamentary powers.
On January 25, 2006, representatives of Hamas, a movement outside the PLO, won the majority of seats in the PLC elections. In 2007, conflict erupted among Palestinian organizations as Hamas militants seized power in the Gaza Strip by force. Since then, Palestine has been divided into two parts: the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, and the West Bank, controlled by the PLO led by Fatah (the largest organization within the PLO). Elections for the PLC have been postponed several times.
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Based on materials from TASS