On Thursday, Lebanon announced the initiation of a plan to disarm Palestinian factions in refugee camps, aiming to secure exclusive state control over weapons.
The disarmament process began with the transfer of weapons from Beirut’s Burj Al Barajneh camp to the Lebanese army, as stated by the Lebanese prime minister’s office.
This step marks the commencement of a larger disarmament initiative, with more weapons expected to be surrendered in the coming weeks from Burj Al Barajneh and other camps nationwide, according to their statement.
A Fatah official informed Reuters that only illegal weapons, which entered the camp 24 hours earlier, were being surrendered. TV footage showed army vehicles entering the camp before the handover. Reuters could not independently confirm the specifics of the weapons handed over.
Under a November truce with Israel, supported by the United States, Lebanon pledged to limit arms to six designated state security forces, challenging the Iran-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah.
The cabinet has instructed the army to develop a plan to establish state-exclusive control over arms by year’s end.
The initiative to disarm Palestinian factions stems from a May 21 agreement between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, reinforcing Lebanon’s sovereignty and the principle that only the state should possess arms, as per the prime minister’s office statement.
Two days later, Lebanese and Palestinian leaders agreed on a timeline and method for disarmament, the statement noted.
For years, Palestinian factions have operated with significant independence in Lebanon’s 12 refugee camps, which largely fall outside Lebanese state jurisdiction. This latest handover is the most serious effort in years to tackle the issue of weapons within the camps.
