Beijing: China has said that rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah met in Beijing recently for “in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation”.
“Representatives of the Palestine National Liberation Movement and the Islamic Resistance Movement recently came to Beijing,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, referring to the groups by their formal names.
“The two sides fully expressed their political will to achieve reconciliation through dialogue and consultation, discussed many specific issues and made positive progress,” he added, without specifying when the sides had met.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has urged the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to “exert all efforts” towards securing the release of hostages held by Hamas as part of negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire.
On Monday, representatives from Egypt, Qatar and Hamas met in Cairo, with the Palestinian group expected to respond to a proposal for a second truce in Gaza, coupled with a fresh release of hostages.
In separate phone calls Biden spoke with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and discussed “the deal now on the table,” the White House said in nearly identical statements.
Biden urged the leaders “to exert all efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas as this is now the only obstacle to an immediate ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza,” the White House said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visiting Riyadh, said he was hopeful Hamas would accept the offer, which he characterised as “extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel”.