Hamas-Fatah Deal : Indonesia's Retno Marsudi Says Beijing Declaration 'A Step Forward' in Palestine Unity
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25 July 2024 12:55 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the recent agreement reached between Hamas and Fatah, two rival Palestinian factions, was a "step forward" towards reconciliation and unity of the Palestinian people. She said Indonesia hoped the agreement could be implemented.
"Unity is key to realizing peace and the future of Palestine," she said.
Hamas and Fatah have agreed to form a Palestinian unity government, China said on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. The agreement was reached in talks brokered by the Chinese government in Beijing on July 21- 23.
The agreement was dubbed the Beijing Declaration and was signed at the closing ceremony of the reconciliation dialogue between the 14 Palestinian factions present, including Hamas and Fatah.
"The Beijing Declaration agreed by Palestinian stakeholders is a step forward to reconciliation and unity of the Palestinian people, especially amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza,” said Retno in a written statement on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
The meeting was held amid attempts by mediators to reach a ceasefire deal after nine months of relentless attacks by Israel in Gaza. One of the sticking points is the "day-after" plan - how the Hamas-run enclave will be governed once the war ends.
Hamas welcomed the declaration, saying it created a "barrier against all regional and international interventions that seek to impose realities against our people's interests".
But there was no immediate comment from the Fatah movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In March, Abbas appointed a new Palestinian Authority (PA) government led by one of his allies, Mohammad Mustafa.
Israel signaled its objection, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz saying on X that Abbas had embraced "the murderers and rapists of Hamas" instead of "rejecting terrorism".
"In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas' rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel's security will remain solely in Israel's hands," Katz said.
NABIILA AZZAHRA | REUTERS
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