The UN Secretary-General has welcomed a new agreement signed on Tuesday in Beijing by Hamas and Fatah, together with smaller Palestinian factions, aimed at ending years of political rivalry as the war in Gaza grinds on. In response to questions at the regular daily briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said António Guterres “very much welcomes the signing of the Beijing Declaration by the Palestinian factions”, adding that it was “an important step towards furthering Palestinian unity.”