Two events took place in the last few days that relate to post-war Gaza governance.
One was that China said it had brokered a deal between Hamas and Fatah in what was described as a declaration to form an interim “national reconciliation government” for the West Bank and Gaza after the war.
The announcement of the declaration came following several days of talks in Beijing, and was presented to the media by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Fatah representative Mahmoud al-Aloul and Hamas representative Mussa Abu Marzuk.
Although described as a “unity” agreement, there have been numerous failed attempts at reconciliation between the rival factions since Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian elections. After those elections — the last time Palestinians held elections — the factions fought a bloody internecine war, resulting in Hamas expelling Fatah from Gaza.
The other event was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s well-publicized trip to Washington, which included a speech to Congress in which he vowed to fight for a total victory over Hamas, and reminded lawmakers of their shared interest in defeating Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups.
Behind the scenes and in the lead-up to Netanyahu’s US visit, another set of talks were taking place far away from China and well away from the presence of either Hamas or Fatah.
Last week, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan hosted a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi attended by Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who is Netanyahu’s closest adviser, and Brett McGurk, the director of Middle East policy for US President Joe Biden’s National Security Council.
The topic of discussion was reportedly a “reformed” Palestinian Authority governing Gaza after the war, as well as inviting a contingent of international forces that would enter Gaza to help ease the humanitarian situation, establish law and order, and facilitate the transition to proper governance.
While Netanyahu has previously rejected the possibility of a future Gaza under the rule of the Palestinian Authority, the prospect of a reformed PA that is led by a “new prime minister who is empowered and independent” as well as the United States taking a key role in any “day-after” initiative could be an incentive.
In short, the Abu Dhabi talks could realistically pave the way for a post-war Gaza solution that excludes both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in its current form.
Naive CNN Hints at Major Step Forward
The BBC quoted an expert on Chinese affairs with the Middle East, who branded China “not a serious actor on this issue,” while mentioning that all other reconciliation attempts had failed.
Reuters published the view of Ashraf Abouelhoul, a specialist on Palestinian affairs and managing editor of the Egyptian state-owned paper Al-Ahram, who noted similar declarations had failed and dismissed any potential suggestion the meeting was a “celebratory event”, saying it is “impossible to resolve the problems between Palestinian factions in just three days.”
CNN, however, viewed the China meeting differently, dedicating 14 paragraphs to what it described as a “common front against occupation,” suggesting it would lead to a Fatah-Hamas partnership.
It is only after Barghouti’s extensive comments—and halfway through the article—that CNN includes the opinion of an analyst who echoes the prevailing sentiment: it will amount to nothing.
While CNN was overemphasizing the significance of the China talks, nearly every other media outlet missed the importance of quieter negotiations between Israel, the US and the UAE that might realistically lead to peace and security for Palestinians.
The media needs to move past focusing on Hamas and Fatah when discussing a post-war Gaza: it’s not going to happen.
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Credits from Getty Images: – Diplomatic face of Hamas: Pedro Pardo/AFP – Who Hamas really is: Mahmud Hams/AFP
