PA chairman Abbas is in Beirut to discuss disarmament of “Palestinian refugee camps” with Lebanese leaders. The talks aim to extend state authority into these traditionally autonomous areas where armed groups operate.
Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas is set to discuss the contentious issue of weapons within Lebanon’s “Palestinian refugee camps” during his three-day visit to Beirut, a member of his delegation confirmed on Tuesday, according to AFP.
The visit, commencing Wednesday, underscores a renewed focus on extending Lebanese state authority across all its territory, including the long-standing autonomous refugee camps.
Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) executive committee accompanying Abbas, stated, “The issue of Palestinian weapons in the camps will be one of the topics on the agenda for discussion between President Abbas, the Lebanese President and the Lebanese government.”
This comes after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun recently expressed intentions to “withdraw (unauthorized) heavy and medium weapons from all Lebanese territory” and pledged to raise the disarmament of the camps with Abbas.
Lebanese residents who are registered as “Palestinian refugees” and their descendants who were born in that country reside in residential neighborhoods known as “refugee camps”, have limited work options and are refused citizenship.
In the past, clashes have broken out in these “refugee camps” between members of Abbas’s Fatah faction and Islamist factions, resulting in dozens of deaths.
Ceasefire agreements meant to end the violence have normally collapsed within hours.
A Lebanese government official, speaking anonymously, indicated that Abbas’s discussions in Lebanon would center on “extending state authority to all Lebanese territory, including the Palestinian camps.” This initiative challenges the traditional convention where the Lebanese army largely refrains from entering the Palestinian camps, leaving security to the various factions present.
