Officials from Fatah and Hamas, and a diplomat based in Beijing, said last night that China will host talks to discuss internal reconciliation efforts, in a remarkable Chinese effort in the midst of the war in the Gaza Strip.

The two rival Palestinian factions have not succeeded in resolving their political differences since the events of 2007.

Washington is concerned about moves aimed at reconciliation between the two movements because it supports the Palestinian Authority but bans Hamas as a “terrorist” group.

A Fatah official told Reuters that a delegation led by the movement's senior official, Azzam al-Ahmad, left for China. A Hamas official said that the talks team led by Musa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas leader, would fly there.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a regular press conference yesterday, Friday, “We support strengthening the authority of the Palestinian Authority, and we support all Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and enhancing solidarity through dialogue and consultation,” without confirming the hosting of the meeting.

This visit will be the first time that a Hamas delegation has been announced to go to China since the beginning of the war in Gaza. Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian met with the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Qatar last month, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The Beijing-based diplomat who was briefed on the matter said that the talks aim to support reconciliation efforts between the two movements.

China has recently shown increasing diplomatic influence in the Middle East, where it enjoys strong relations with Arab countries and Iran. Last year, Beijing mediated the resumption of diplomatic relations between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in Beijing on Friday how China can play a constructive role in international crises, including in the Middle East.

Chinese officials have intensified their efforts to defend the Palestinians in international forums in the past few months, calling for a large-scale Israeli-Palestinian peace conference and setting a specific timetable for implementing the two-state solution.

In February, Beijing urged the International Court of Justice to express its opinion on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, which it said was illegal.

Later, China pushed for Palestine’s admission to the United Nations, which Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last week would “correct a long-standing historical injustice.”