Palestinian factions in Lebanon give up arms

Palestinian factions have started to hand over some of their weapons to the Lebanese army on August 21st, according to France 24 via AP.

These factions handed over their weapons in a refugee camp in Beirut’s outskirts. It is unknown whether all factions will comply with the decision.

A spokesperson for Hamas sent a statement that called this handover of weapons “an internal organisational matter within the Fatah movement” that “has no connection, near or far, to the issue of Palestinian weapons in the camps.”

The statement was signed by “the Palestinian Factions in Lebanon.” It also said that “our weapons have always been and will always be linked to the right of return and the just Palestinian cause and will remain so as long as the occupation remains on Palestinian soil.”

This handover is a key step taken to implement Lebanon’s plan to remove arms from refugee camps. The plan to remove arms from camps was announced during a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Lebanon during May. He and his Lebanese counterpart, President Joseph Aoun, had announced that arms would be consolidated under the Lebanese government’s authority.

The implementation of the plan to remove arms was delayed due to disputes among and within several different Palestinian factions active in Lebanon. This includes Abbas’ Fatah movement, as well as Hamas.

A spokesperson for Abbas, Nabil Abu Rdeneh, has said that weapons were also handed over on August 21st at al-Bass camp in southern Lebanon, and that this would go ahead in other camps, as agreed between Abbas and the Lebanese government. US envoy Tom Barrack has commended the Lebanese government and Fatah for this.

This step is a predecessor to the more complex step of disarming Hezbollah. In 2024, Hezbollah fought a war against Israel, which ended in a ceasefire in November. Since the war, Hezbollah has faced pressure globally and at home to give up its weapons, but has refused to do so. Lebanon intends to disarm the group by the end of 2025. This suggests that Lebanon is succumbing to pressure from the US, of which, Barrack had urged the Middle Eastern nation to create a clear schedule for the group’s disarmament. 

France 24 via AP, Maghrebi.org