After 8 previously failed attempts, Palestinians doubt Beijing agreement will end Hamas-Fatah divide

After ten months of Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement to end divisions under the auspices of China in Beijing on Tuesday. But based on previous experiences, most Palestinians don't think both parties are serious. 

Earlier this week, rival Palestinian political movements agreed to work on forming an "interim national reconciliation government" to govern post-war Gaza.

The new Palestinian government is supposed to bear the responsibility of unifying all Palestinian institutions in the Palestinian territories covering the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the besieged Gaza Strip. 

Hamas and Fatah also agreed to "unify national efforts to confront the aggression and stop the war of genocide" carried out by Israel and its illegal settlers "with the support and participation of the United States of America."

The declaration signed by the factions included a paragraph that affirms that the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) is "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people". It also rejected of "all forms of guardianship and attempts to deprive the Palestinian people of their right to represent themselves or confiscate their independent national decision".

"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," Abu Marzouk said after meeting the Chinese foreign minister and the other envoys.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who hosted senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk, Fatah envoy Mahmoud al-Aloul and emissaries from 12 other Palestinian groups, said they had agreed to set up an "interim national reconciliation government" to govern post-war Gaza.

Minister Yi also called on other countries to provide support to the Palestinian government that will emerge from this agreement so that it can "effectively control Gaza and the West Bank."

The Beijing agreement is the ninth agreement involving disputing Palestinian groups, made and signed over the past 18 years, all of which eventually fell apart. 

Lots of doubts

Various Palestinian political analysts are sceptical about the success of the Beijing agreement, especially since it comes in light of the ongoing Israeli war, lacks a timetable, and loopholes for either faction to easily evade the agreement.

In separate interviews with The New Arab, Palestinian analysts argued that although the Palestinians urgently need reconciliation, both Fatah and Hamas still cling to their points of disagreement (whether political or even ideological).

"Unfortunately, the Beijing agreement is surrounded by a lot of ambiguity regarding when and how it will be implemented on the ground […] For Palestinians in Gaza, the Beijing agreement is just another card that both Fatah and Hamas are trying to manipulate," Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a Gaza-based Palestinian political analyst, said to TNA.

"Over the 17-year-long internal division, despite all the national and humanitarian reasons that should have encouraged the two parties to end the divide, neither of them has made concessions, not even for the sake of the homeland. I do not believe that they [Fatah and Hamas] will give up their political arrogance for the Palestinian cause," he added.

"The Beijing announcement does not carry anything new, like other previous agreements, as it comes within the framework of hopes and not within a real practical plan that guarantees the implementation of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement," Abu Saada further argued. 

For his part, Talal Okal, another Gaza-based political expert, believes that while the agreement is comprehensive and includes all the issues and basic foundations of the Palestinian dialogue, the real test is implementation, pointing to a similar rapprochement in the Algeria last year which faltered due to no action by the parties. 

He continued that the new agreement discusses vague issues and "did not mention anything in terms of the time, tools and implementation mechanisms, and the matter was left to negotiations that may extend for years, and implementation may be obstructed over the details". 

"What was stated in the Chinese declaration is a repeated invitation that did not carry anything new in an actual and promising way for Palestinians," he added. "Among the issues that need clarification are the foundations of the internal Palestinian relationship and how to strengthen it and formally end divisions that lasted for over 17 years."

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, a year after it won elections and following clashes with security forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority. That fight has allowed Hamas to govern Gaza, while the PA's governance is limited to the occupied West Bank. 

"Hamas joining the Palestinian Authority within the framework of what was stated in the Beijing agreement may represent a new obstacle to any future agreements, especially since Israel and the United States will not accept Hamas having any role in sharing power, and this is what Hamas will not give up on after all the years of struggle and sacrifice," according to Hussam al-Dajani, a Gaza-based political analyst. 

"All the Palestinian political system needs real reform, which ultimately aims to involve everyone in the democratic process," al-Dajani said.

Moreover, he noted, articles in the agreement regarding preps for general elections "cannot be achieved" due to Israel's policies in the West Bank and its war in Gaza. 

Palestinians in Gaza are tired of false promises

Speaking to TNA, Palestinians in Gaza expressed fears of another disappointment over reconciliation, especially since both these factions exchanging accusations and blame over Israel's war on Gaza.

"The two factions are in one reality, the people are in another, and Israel is reaping the political gains throughout the past years [...] This time, as well, we do not expect it to succeed," one Palestinian in Gaza lamented to TNA. 

Radi Al-Ashi, Palestinian man in Gaza, expressed concerns that "the real war" between Fatah and Hamas will begin during the post-war phase in Gaza. 

"Over the past 10 months, all this destruction did not bridge the rift between the two sides, so how can we expect these two stubborn and conflicting factions to implement an agreement that contains a lot of ambiguity and lack of clarity?" he questioned. 

Eman Asaad, a Palestinian woman based in Deir al-Balah, shared a similar sentiment to TNA.  

Eman, who lost her home and three of her siblings, said, "If it weren't for Fatah's political and financial corruption, the people wouldn't have elected Hamas, and if it weren't for Hamas's political corruption, it wouldn't have set off this war and allowing Israel to commit these crimes."

Eman believes that Fatah and Hamas will not change their approach and will not agree to end the division, even if they may share certain interests.

She ultimately hopes that an independent Palestinian government will govern the Gaza Strip, with neither Fatah nor Hamas involved.