“The declaration reaffirms [the] commitment to establishing an independent state of Palestine with Jerusalem as the capital city based on relevant UN resolutions and ensuring the integrity of Palestinian territory including the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza,” ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

He said that under the deal the rival groups had agreed to set up an “interim national reconciliation government” to govern post-war Gaza.

Signatories included senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk and Fatah envoy Mahmoud al-Aloul along with emissaries from 12 other Palestinian groups.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it was the first time the 14 rival groups had gathered together in Beijing for reconciliation talks, and that the ambassadors of Egypt, Russia and Algeria also attended the meetings.

“Reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community,” Wang said.

He added that China was keen to “play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East”.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority – the two dominant Palestinian political parties in the Palestinian territories – have held multiple rounds of unity talks since Hamas defeated President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party in parliamentary elections in 2006.

In 2007 Hamas became de facto ruler in the Gaza Strip while Fatah led the Palestinian Authority in the Israel-controlled West Bank.

But reconciliation efforts have floundered, with tensions between Fatah and Hamas escalating and spilling over in the region.

Hamas and Fatah have tried and failed several times to reach an agreement to unite the two separate Palestinian territories under one governance, with a 2017 agreement brokered by Egypt quickly falling apart. A 2022 agreement to hold elections within a year was not followed through.

The West has refused to accept any government that includes Hamas unless it expressly recognises Israel.

Ma Xiaolin, an international relations specialist at Zhejiang International Studies University, said the agreement was a significant breakthrough.

Recognising the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the only legitimate representative of Palestine meant rival groups like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) might join a coalition sometime in the future, he said.

The deal also reaffirmed the two-state solution, Ma noted, adding: “This would signify that Hamas and PIJ accept Israel as a state and they don’t intend to recover all of Palestine but East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank – and this is a great step forward.”

Observers in China said it remained to be seen what prospects for the Palestinian agreement were, given that previous reconciliation deals had failed to hold. National unity achieved now would strengthen Palestine’s position in future negotiations with Israel and the West, they said.

“If the factions could reach a certain level of strategic unity and form one voice for the sake of the people, that could help Palestine to win support from the Arab and Islamic world and strengthen its position in future peace talks with Israel,” said Liu Xinlu, dean of the school of Arabic studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

“This is a big step forward.”

He also said the deal was a diplomatic victory for China, whose growing leverage and influence in the Middle East had created a “demonstration effect” after it brokered the detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran last spring.

“It means China’s position, whether as a mediator or guarantor, is accepted by these countries and, as a global power, China is capable of this.”