Fragile Ceasefire Shattered: Clashes in Palestinian Refugee Camp Rock Southern Lebanon

2023-09-12 21:31:46

On Tuesday, clashes violated a fragile ceasefire agreement in a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, following days of battles that claimed the lives of at least seven people, at a time when Beirut is witnessing visits by leaders of Palestinian organizations seeking to end the tension.

Ain al-Hilweh camp, located on the outskirts of the city of Sidon, which is the largest for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, has witnessed intermittent clashes since Thursday between the Fatah movement and extremist Islamic groups.

These battles came following weeks of violent confrontations between the two sides, the most violent in years, which resulted in the killing of 13 people, including a Fatah leader, in an ambush. They calmed down following a series of contacts between Palestinian factions and Lebanese officials and parties.

The Director of Media for the Palestinian Red Crescent – Lebanon Region, Imad Hallaq, told Agence France-Presse that the toll of battles during the past days amounted to seven dead and more than 80 wounded, noting that the victims were militants and civilians.

On Monday night, the official National News Agency reported from the General Directorate of Public Security that an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” had been reached, following a meeting between the Acting Director General, Major General Elias Al-Bisari, the Chairman of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Basil Al-Hassan, and a number of representatives. Factions and active parties in the camp.

However, on Tuesday followingnoon, an Agence France-Presse correspondent in Sidon indicated that shooting and sporadic clashes had been recorded in the camp.

In a statement published by the National Agency, the Fatah movement affirmed its commitment to the ceasefire “ once more following it thwarted the attack in the Al-Tiri neighborhood (inside the camp) and caused casualties,” stressing that it “will continue to deal with any terrorist group it detects.”

In light of the tension, Beirut is witnessing visits by officials from key organizations, especially Fatah and Hamas.

Ain al-Hilweh camp is known for harboring extremist Islamic groups and outlaws. It is home to more than 54,000 Palestinian refugees registered with the United Nations, joined during the past years by thousands of Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Syria.

It often witnesses assassinations and sometimes clashes, especially between Palestinian factions and extremist Islamic groups.

The Lebanese army is deployed at checkpoints in front of the entrances to the camp, which the Lebanese security forces do not enter, like all Palestinian camps, according to an implicit agreement between the PLO and the Lebanese authorities. The Palestinian factions undertake a kind of self-security inside the camps through a joint security force.

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