(I24) China will host Palestinian unity talks between the Islamist terrorists of Hamas and their rivals in Fatah, a notable Chinese foray into Palestinian diplomacy amid the war in the Gaza Strip.
The two rival Palestinian factions have failed to heal their political disputes since Hamas fighters expelled Fatah from Gaza in a violent coup in 2007. Washington is wary of moves to reconcile the two groups, as it supports the Palestinian Authority and banned Hamas as terrorists.
“We support strengthening the authority of the Palestinian National Authority, and support all Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and increasing solidarity through dialogue and consultation,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a briefing on Friday.
The visit will be the first time a Hamas delegation is publicly known to have gone to China since the start of the war in Gaza. A Chinese diplomat, Wang Kejian, met Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar last month, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
