Unknown Palestinian officials have told New York Times a meeting between Hamas and Fatah was held as part of another effort by Beijing to resolve the differences between these two groups that have been competing with each other for years.

In April, Beijing hosted the first round of talks to reach a potential deal, and Chinese President Xi Jinping had previously called for a peace summit to end the war in Gaza.

China has historically supported the cause of Palestine and has been in favor of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

After Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in April that the United States should support the UN resolution to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Chinese officials have increasingly addressed the issue of the ongoing Israeli crimes in Gaza.

Repeating Beijing’s calls for an immediate ceasefire, Wang had described Israel’s war on Gaza as “a tragedy for humanity and a disgrace to civilization.”

MNA