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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 24 July 2024
Rivals Hamas and Fatah sign a declaration to form a future

government as war rages in Gaza

By JACK JEFFERY, TIA GOLD- though it has not presented
ENBERG and HUIZHONG WU a cohesive postwar vision of
Associated Press its own. Palestinian President
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) Mahmoud Abbas ‘ Fatah has
— Palestinian factions Hamas been deeply reluctant to
and Fatah agreed in Beijing to share power with its longtime
form a government together, rival. Hamas won Palestinian
the groups said Tuesday, in parliamentary elections in
the latest attempt at resolv- 2006. The following year, amid
ing a longstanding rivalry that escalating tensions, Hamas
looms over any potential vision routed forces loyal to Abbas
for the rule of Gaza after the in Gaza. It has ruled the im-
war with Israel. poverished coastal enclave
Previous similar declarations ever since. During the current
have failed, raising doubts war, Hamas officials have said
about whether the China- the group does not want to
sponsored negotiations return to ruling Gaza and that
might lead to reconciliation it advocates for forming a
between Hamas, which has government of technocrats
ruled the Gaza Strip for 17 to be agreed upon by the
years, and Fatah, the main various Palestinian factions.
force in the U.S.-backed Pal- China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, center, hosts an event for Mahmoud al-Aloul, left, vice chairman That government would then
estinian Authority that admin- of Fatah, and Mussa Abu Marzuk, a senior member of Hamas, to meet at the Diaoyutai State prepare for elections in Gaza
isters parts of the occupied Guesthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. and the West Bank, with the
West Bank. The two groups Associated Press intention of forming a unified
issued a joint statement an- and other Western countries offered only broad outlines war and free dozens of Israeli government.
nouncing the deal but gave have refused to accept any for how they would work to- hostages held by Hamas. Reacting to the announce-
no details on how or when Palestinian government that gether. One of the thorniest issues is ment out of China, Israel’s
the government would be includes Hamas unless it ex- “There is an opportunity … the question of who will run foreign minister said no joint
formed, saying only that it pressly recognizes Israel a but it is not big, because it Gaza after the war. The unity governance between Hamas
would be done “by agree- factor that has helped wreck lacks a specific timetable for efforts are motivated in part and Fatah in Gaza will take
ment among the factions.” past unity attempts, along implementation,” said Hani by Palestinians’ desire to offer place “because Hamas’ rule
Both sides said the accord, with the factions’ own com- Al-Masry, an expert on Pal- a scenario for postwar rule. will be crushed.”
which provided no guaran- petition for power. estinian reconciliation affairs. But Israel vehemently opposes U.S. State Department spokes-
tees, was only an initial step, Chinese state broadcaster The declaration comes at a any role for Hamas, which it man Matthew Miller said, “We
and they promised to follow CCTV announced that the sensitive time, as the war in vowed to destroy after the made clear we want to see
up on previous reconciliation two sides and other, smaller Gaza rages into its 10th month militants’ Oct. 7 attack on the Palestinian Authority” with
agreements signed in 2011 Palestinian factions signed the and as Israel and Hamas are southern Israel. It also has a governing role in Gaza, “but
and 2022. declaration on “ending divi- weighing an internationally rejected U.S. calls for the Pal- no, we do not want to see a
Israel and the United States sion and strengthening Pales- backed cease-fire proposal estinian Authority to govern role for Hamas,” which he said
rejected the pact. The U.S. tinian unity.” The agreement that would wind down the Gaza after the fighting ends, has “blood on its hands.”q

Violence against women at ‘epidemic’ levels and is a threat on

par with terrorism, U.K. police warn

By SYLVIA HUI women each year will be ity every year, with such a national threat to public the same way as they do
Associated Press a victim of crimes includ- crimes increasing by 37% safety, and police forces terrorism and serious orga-
LONDON (AP) — Violence ing sexual offenses, rape, from 2018 to 2022. were told to prioritize their nized crime.q
against women and girls stalking, harassment or She said one growing con- response to the issue in
has reached epidemic lev- online sexual abuse, the cern is the way some on-
els and police are treating report estimated, with the line influencers “radicalize”
it as a threat on the same exact number thought to young men and boys into
scale as terrorism, Britain’s be much higher because extreme misogyny. Senior
police chiefs said Tuesday. of crimes that go unreport- officers focusing on vio-
More than 1 million violent ed. lence against women are
crimes against women “Violence against women in discussions with counter-
and girls were recorded by and girls is a national emer- terrorism police on how to
U.K. police in 2022 to 2023, gency,” Deputy Chief tackle the issue, Blyth said.
accounting for one-fifth of Constable Maggie Blyth Teachers in the U.K. have
all recorded crime, a new said in a statement. “We expressed worries about
report commissioned by need to move forward as the spread of “toxic mas-
the National Police Chiefs’ a society to make change culinity” among boys influ-
Council and the College and no longer accept vio- enced by the misogynistic
of Policing said. lence against women and views of some social me-
One in every six murders girls as inevitable.” dia personalities. A sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters
was related to domestic Blyth said the data was Britain’s government last of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Monday, Sept.
abuse in the same period. “staggering” and grow- year classified violence 25, 2023.
At least one in every 12 ing in scale and complex- against women and girls as Associated Press