Palestinian factions sign Beijing Declaration on ending division and strengthening Palestinian national unity

Three days of intensive talks in the Chinese capital Beijing between 14 Palestinian resistance organisations culminated on July 23, 2024, with the signing of the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity by the movements represented.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended the closing ceremony and witnessed the signing.

According to the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in his remarks at the closing ceremony, Wang Yi noted that, 14 Palestinian factions are gathering in Beijing with the greater good of their nation in mind. This is an important historical moment in the Palestinian liberation cause. China commends the reconciliation efforts made by all the factions and congratulates them on the success of the Beijing dialogue and the signing of the Beijing Declaration.

Wang Yi pointed out that only when Palestinian factions speak as one can the voice of justice be loud and clear, and only when they join hands and march forward shoulder to shoulder can they succeed in their national liberation cause. The most important consensus from the Beijing talks is to achieve the reconciliation and unity among the 14 factions; the core outcome is the affirmation of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people; the biggest highlight is the agreement on establishing an interim government of national reconciliation focusing on the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza; and the strongest call is for truly establishing an independent State of Palestine in accordance with relevant UN resolutions. The key to the Palestinian reconciliation process is to bolster confidence, keep to the right direction, and make incremental progress. Only by making continuous efforts to build consensus and put it into practice can the reconciliation process yield more and more substantive progress and greater unity. Reconciliation is the internal affair of Palestinian factions and cannot happen without international support. On the path toward reconciliation, China shares the same direction and destination with Arab and Islamic countries.

The Chinese Foreign Minister further noted that the Palestinian question is at the core of the Middle East issue. China never has any selfish interests on the Palestinian question. China was among the first countries to recognise the PLO and the State of Palestine. China all along firmly supports the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights. We value fairness and advocate for justice.

To help get out of the current conflict and predicament, China proposes a three-step initiative:

• First is to achieve a comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, and ensure access to humanitarian aid and rescue on the ground.
• Second is to make joint efforts toward post-conflict governance of Gaza under the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine.”
• Third is to help Palestine become a full member state of the UN and get down to implementing the two-State solution.

Wang Yi said that intra-Palestinian reconciliation will bring hope and a future to the Palestinian people. It is an important step toward resolving the Palestinian question and achieving peace and stability in the Middle East. Unwavering efforts must be continually made in this direction. China sincerely hopes that Palestinian factions will achieve reconciliation and, on that basis, realise independent statehood at an early date.

Head of the Fatah delegation Mahmoud al-Aloul and head of the Hamas delegation Musa Abu Marzouk delivered remarks on behalf of the Palestinian factions. They noted that China holds an important place in the heart of Palestinian people, and expressed sincere appreciation for President Xi Jinping and China’s unchanging, firm support and selfless assistance to Palestine over a long period of time. They expressed deep appreciation for China’s strong support for intra-Palestinian dialogue and reconciliation. 

Diplomatic envoys from Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia and Türkiye also attended the closing ceremony.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Beijing, Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, one of the 14 factions to sign the accord, said that the agreement goes “much further” than any other reached in recent years.

He said its four main elements are the establishment of an interim national unity government, the formation of unified Palestinian leadership ahead of future elections, the free election of a new Palestinian National Council, and a general declaration of unity in the face of ongoing Israeli attacks.

The move towards a unity government is especially important, he said, because it “blocks Israeli efforts to create some sort of collaborative structure against Palestinian interests.”

Barghouti said the war in Gaza was the “main factor” motivating the Palestinian sides to set aside their differences. “There is no other way now but for Palestinians to be unified and struggle together against this terrible injustice… The most important thing now is to not only sign the agreement, but to implement it.”

Addressing the Beijing meeting, Jamil Mezher, Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said in part that:

China has proven, through its long history, its steadfast support for the Palestinian cause, through its political and diplomatic stances and its support for the Palestinian people in international forums.

What is required today is a unified Palestinian stance that clearly declares that we are all united behind the goals of our people in achieving freedom, self-determination, the return of refugees, and realising the dream of a Palestinian state with Al-Quds [Jerusalem] as its capital.

It is essential to announce the restoration of Palestinian national unity, uniting our forces and people and the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, through the convening of a unifying Palestinian National Council with the participation and representation of all Palestinian forces.

Today, our people are not only facing a genocide war but also the consequences of decades of comprehensive political failure and deficiency, as well as the price of international bias led by the United States and supported by all governments and tools of the dominant colonial system in this world.

Our urgent and pressing demand is not only to end and stop the genocide but to secure our people’s rights to freedom, self-determination, the return of refugees, and the establishment of an independent state with Al-Quds as its capital.

Peoples have never achieved their rights through blame, contention, and disputes over descriptions and conflicting wills; rather, by uniting around major national goals, deeply understanding the meaning of historical responsibility, and having leadership capable of bearing responsibility and translating popular will. This is our duty today… Is there a stronger and more precious incentive than 40,000 Palestinian martyrs?

Being united in the face of this aggression is the only guarantee to achieve our major national goals. Let us work with all our strength and sincerity to achieve this goal, knowing that history will not forgive the complacent, and our people will not forgive those who fail in their national and humanitarian duty.

Let us pledge today, before our people and the martyrs of this nation, that this moment will be the beginning of a journey towards freedom, independence, the state, and the return of refugees, and let our unity be the strongest weapon in facing this oppressive enemy.

Majida Al-Masri, Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said in her speech:

“Our Palestinian people expect a lot from us, and today we can achieve a national agreement based on the grounds of previous national dialogues and agreements, extracting from them the necessary political and organisational outcomes. Foremost among these is the reaffirmation of the Palestinian identity, first by recognising the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and second by reaffirming our shared goal of ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including Al-Quds, and Gaza, achieving the independence of the State of Palestine, and exercising full sovereignty over its land, including Al-Quds as the capital, within the borders of June 4, 1967, and resolving the refugee issue according to Resolution 194, which guarantees their right of return. Thirdly, adhering to international legitimacy decisions as the basis for resolving the conflict.”

She emphasised the right of the Palestinian people to resort to all forms of resistance in confronting annexation, killing, and displacement plans and called for the following steps to end the division and restore national unity:

• Completing the inclusion of all Palestinian factions, especially Hamas and Islamic Jihad, into the PLO. Forming a unified leadership body within the PLO framework, without infringing on the powers of the Executive Committee. This should be a temporary arrangement until conditions allow for the convening of the Central Council, which is empowered with the National Council’s authorities, to officially include Hamas and Islamic Jihad into the organisation and represent them in its leading institutions, alongside other factions, towards forming a new National Council chosen by elections where possible according to proportional representation, or by consensus where elections are not feasible.
• Forming a national unity government composed of independent experts, with the PLO as its political reference, to immediately exercise its powers in the West Bank and Gaza upon the cessation of aggression and the withdrawal of invaders. The aim is to embody and preserve the unity of the State of Palestine’s territories, unify national governmental, administrative, security, and judicial institutions between the two regions, supervise relief and reconstruction operations, and prepare for free and fair presidential and legislative elections in the context of transitioning from authority to statehood.
• Launching a Palestinian political initiative announced by the PLO on behalf of all Palestinians, in consultation with our international allies, foremost among them the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation. This initiative aims to leverage the positive shifts generated by the Aqsa Flood operation, based on the recent Security Council Resolution (No. 2735 dated 10/6/2024). It establishes a firm link between negotiations on ending the aggression and prisoner exchange and opening a political process leading to the end of the occupation through a fully authorised international conference under the collective auspices of the United Nations, represented by the five permanent members of the Security Council, and based on international legitimacy resolutions ensuring Israeli withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 lines, achieving the full sovereignty of the State of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital, and resolving the refugee issue per Resolution 194 guaranteeing the right of return. This initiative involves forming a unified delegation representing all Palestinians under the PLO banner, according to the 2014 formula, to manage negotiations at all stages, starting with a ceasefire and prisoner exchange and culminating in representing Palestine at the international conference.

In conclusion, Comrade Majda Al-Masri thanked the Chinese government for hosting the Palestinian dialogue. She also saluted the Palestinian people, who create heroic and legendary epics in Gaza, the steadfast West Bank, and the proud Al-Quds, and all the military wings of the resistance factions bravely facing the Zionist terrorist army. She extended her greetings to the resistance in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Iran, South Africa, Algeria, and all the nations supporting our people, especially in Latin America, and to the free peoples who have taken to the streets rejecting the aggression and supporting our people and resistance. 

Whilst an official text of the Beijing Declaration does not appear to have been published at time of writing, Al Mayadeen reported having received a leaked version. What is presumably – and at least substantively – that text may be read here. 

Whilst this is most likely accurate in the main, according to subsequent reports, it appears to be an earlier draft, which was later amended in part due, not least, to some reservations or objections raised by Hamas and especially by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Head of Hamas’s International Relations Office Abu Marzouk said: “These are historic moments, and we pray to Allah that we will be able to implement what we have signed, and that it will not be a repetition of previous agreements. We are in a historic moment recorded by the struggle of our people, to whom we extend our greetings.”

He emphasised that the Palestinian people have thwarted plans to neutralise and isolate the resistance, despite the suffering, and that the plan to displace the Palestinian people has failed, with the people remaining firmly rooted on their land. He added: “We will remain determined to liberate our land and ensure the return of our people.”

He further expressed his gratitude for the Chinese efforts, and to everyone who has stood alongside Palestine, including Hezbollah, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Türkiye, and Egypt.

Hussam Badran, Head of Hamas’s National Relations Office and a member of its Political Bureau, confirmed that the Beijing Declaration is an additional positive step towards achieving Palestinian national unity. Its significance stems from the location and the host country, as we are talking about the People’s Republic of China with its international weight and steadfast support for the Palestinian cause.

In his press statement, Badran expressed his high appreciation for the substantial efforts made by China to reach this declaration. They are moving in this path for the first time with their weight and stature, which is something we need as Palestinians to face the unilateral policies pursued by the United States regarding the Palestinian cause. The US administration stands against any internal Palestinian national consensus and is entirely biased, even being partners with the occupation in its crimes against our people.

He noted that the official statement signed by the factions is clear in its contents and is not what has been published and circulated since yesterday (July 22). Those meeting in Beijing, he added, saluted our Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, for their resilience and steadfastness. They expressed their appreciation for the Palestinian resistance, which is exercising our natural right to confront the occupation.

Badran explained that there was an agreement on the Palestinian demands related to ending the war and the brutal aggression, which are: a ceasefire, the complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, relief, and reconstruction.

He pointed out that the most important point of agreement was the formation of a Palestinian national unity government to manage the affairs of our people in Gaza and the West Bank, oversee reconstruction, and prepare the conditions for elections. This was Hamas’s position that it called for and proposed since the early weeks of the battle.

For his part, Ihsan Ataya, Head of Arab and International Relations for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said:  

“The content of the final statement of the Palestinian dialogue in China, which was leaked to the media, is inaccurate. The Islamic Jihad Movement rejected any wording that explicitly or implicitly acknowledges Israel. The movement did not agree to include any wording that refers to international resolutions leading to the recognition of the legitimacy of the occupying entity. The movement also demanded the withdrawal of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation’s recognition of Israel.

The importance of the Beijing Declaration lies in unifying the Palestinian position in the face of war. The guarantee of implementing the clauses of the Beijing Declaration lies in the hands of the Palestinians themselves. The dialogue in Beijing took place in two sessions, and after drafting the statement, there were objections to a number of its contents, and our position was clear. The final reading of the statement was supposed to take place before its approval, but due to the limited time, it was based on what the committee drafted. We passed the statement, with our implicit reservations, to thwart those who wanted to sabotage this meeting.”

Such statements reflect the fact that the Palestinian national movement has been riven by bitter divisions for many years and these cannot be resolved in a single day, or a single round of negotiations, but rather only through a protracted and patient process.  

Nevertheless, thanks to the tireless efforts of China and other friendly countries, along with the efforts of all 14 factions, and above all the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people themselves, a great step forward has been taken in the ongoing struggle to restore national unity. 

Just as Wang Yi pointed out, only when Palestinian factions speak as one can the voice of justice be loud and clear, and only when they join hands and march forward shoulder to shoulder can they succeed in their national liberation cause. The most important consensus from the Beijing talks is to achieve the reconciliation and unity among the 14 factions.

And as Mustafa Barghouti noted, the agreement goes much further than any other intra-Palestinian agreement has achieved in recent years and: “The most important thing now is to not only sign the agreement, but to implement it.”

The 14 organisations who accepted the Chinese invitation to the talks and who have signed the Beijing Declaration are:

• Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah)
• Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
• Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP)
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement
• Palestinian People’s Party
• Palestinian Popular Struggle Front
• Palestinian National Initiative Movement
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (General Command)
• Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA)
• Palestinian Liberation Front
• Arab Liberation Front
• Arab Palestinian Front
• Vanguards of the Popular Liberation War (As-Sa’iqa Forces)

The following article was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. We also embed below the Al Jazeera interview with Mustafa Barghouti. 

Unless otherwise indicated, all other statements and  speeches referred to above are as reported by the Resistance News Network channel on the Telegram social media platform.