Palestinian factions, including rivals Hamas and Fatah, are set to hold unity talks in China in July, according to senior officials from both groups. The factions are seeking to resolve longstanding political divisions.
This follows previous discussions in China in April focused on reconciliation efforts to end nearly 17 years of political splits.
The meetings come amid rising tensions between the factions over Hamas’ ongoing conflict with Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Fatah, has criticized Hamas for the conflict, while Hamas has accused Abbas of siding with Israel.
The two factions have been at odds since Hamas won legislative elections in 2006 and took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after a brief civil war. Efforts by Arab countries, led by Egypt, to mediate power-sharing disputes between Hamas and Fatah since 2007 have been unsuccessful.