The PLO: A New Era of Unity

The Palestinian political movement is notoriously fractured. The two main representatives, Fatah (Palestinian Authority) and Hamas, have tried and failed on numerous occasions to unite. And beyond these two there are other political factions and military forces, each with their own hierarchy of commands and funders.

The need for these disparate groups to come together to help rebuild a decimated country and people has never been greater.

Quietly and without any great media fanfare, the Chinese government yesterday announced "Palestinian national unity, including all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)". Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative who was at the talks, said this declaration “went much further” than previous efforts, and included “specific steps” towards the formation of a consensus government.

Here is the announcement made on 23rd July 2024 by the Chinese government in full – published as Netanyahu made his trip to Washington:

"The national factions agreed during their meetings in China to achieve comprehensive Palestinian national unity, including all Palestinian forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). They committed to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and ensuring the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194. The participants also agreed on the Palestinian people's right to resist occupation and end it according to international laws and the United Nations Charter. They decided to form a temporary national unity government with the consensus of the Palestinian factions by decree of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas based on the Palestinian Basic Law. This government will begin by unifying all Palestinian institutions in the territories of the Palestinian state, initiating the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and preparing for general elections under the supervision of the Central Elections Commission as soon as possible, according to the approved election law.

"The Palestinian factions meeting in Beijing are: - Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) - Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) - Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine - 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 attendees agreed on the following points:

1. Unifying national efforts to confront Zionist aggression and stop the genocide perpetrated by the occupying state and settler gangs supported by the United States of America. They also agreed to resist attempts to displace our people from their homeland, Palestine, and to force the Zionist entity to end its occupation of the Gaza Strip and all other occupied territories, while maintaining the unity of Palestinian lands, including the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

 2. The Palestinian factions welcome the opinion of the International Court of Justice, which affirmed the illegitimacy of the Israeli presence, occupation, and settlements on the land of the State of Palestine and emphasized the need for their removal as soon as possible.

3. Based on the National Reconciliation Agreement signed in Cairo on 4/5/2011 and the Algiers Declaration signed on 12/10/2022, the factions agreed to continue following up on the implementation of agreements to end the division with the assistance of Egypt, Algeria, and friends in the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation as follows:

 a) Commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly Resolutions 181 and 2334, and ensuring the right of return in accordance with Resolution 194.

  b) The right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation and end it in accordance with international laws and the United Nations Charter, and the right of peoples to self-determination and their struggle to achieve it by all available means.

 c) Formation of a temporary national unity government with the consensus of the Palestinian factions and by a decision from the President based on the applicable Palestinian Basic Law. This government will exercise its powers and authorities over all Palestinian territories, emphasizing the unity of the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. It will begin by unifying all Palestinian institutions in the territories of the Palestinian state, initiating the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and preparing for general elections under the supervision of the Central Elections Commission as soon as possible, according to the approved election law.

 d) Until practical steps are taken to form the new National Council according to the approved election law, and to deepen political partnership in bearing national responsibility and developing the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), it was confirmed to activate and regularize the unified temporary leadership framework for partnership in political decision-making as agreed upon in the Palestinian National Reconciliation Document signed on May 4, 2011.

4. Resisting and thwarting attempts to displace our people from their homeland, especially from the Gaza Strip or in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and affirming the illegitimacy of settlements and settlement expansion in accordance with the decisions of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly and the opinion of the International Court of Justice.

5. Working to break the brutal siege on our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and to deliver humanitarian and medical aid without restrictions or conditions.

6. Supporting and endorsing the heroic steadfastness of our struggling people and their valiant resistance in Palestine to overcome the wounds and destruction caused by the criminal aggression, and to rebuild what the occupation destroyed, supporting the families of martyrs and the wounded, and all those who lost their homes, properties, and sources of livelihood.

7. Confronting the occupation's conspiracies and its continuous violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and resisting any harm to it and the city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

8. Paying tribute to the martyrs of the Palestinian people and reaffirming full support for the brave prisoners in the occupation's prisons and camps, who are subjected to various forms of torture and repression, and prioritizing all efforts possible to liberate them from the occupation's captivity."

In light of this declaration, the attendees agreed on a collective mechanism to implement all aspects of the declaration and decided to consider the meeting of the General Secretaries as a starting point for the urgent work of the joint national teams. It was also decided to set a timeline for implementing this declaration.