Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon start handing over weapons

ANKARA

Palestinian factions in Lebanon began handing over weapons in refugee camps on Thursday as part of a government plan to bring arms under state control, Lebanese authorities said.

In a statement, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office said the first batch of weapons in the Burj al-Barajneh camp, Beirut will be delivered to the Lebanese army.

Additional handovers are scheduled in the coming weeks in Burj al-Barajneh and other camps, the statement said, citing Ramzi Damaschkieh, who heads the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee.

Sources said Lebanese military vehicles, accompanied by intelligence personnel, entered the camp and started collecting weapons. A small truck was seen carrying weapons.

Palestinian National Security chief in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Subhi Abu Arab of the Fatah movement, told reporters inside the camp that the handover followed agreements reached between President Mahmoud Abbas and his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, during their meeting in Beirut on May 21.

“We are committed to any decision issued by our political leadership,” Abu Arab said.

Lebanon’s state news agency NNA confirmed that two small trucks entered the Burj al-Barajneh camp, with one leaving loaded with covered weapons, without specifying their type.

The process unfolded “calmly and smoothly,” the agency said, with residents and faction members watching the transfer without objection.

Army vehicles sealed entrances to the camp and surrounding roads while awaiting the continuation of the weapons transfer.

The move comes as Lebanon moves forward with a plan to limit all arms possession to the national army by the end of the year, a move Hezbollah has strongly rejected as politically motivated and aligned with Israeli and US pressure.

Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.