Mahmoud Abbas seeks peaceful plan to disarm Palestinian refugee camps on visit to Beirut

Lebanon wants to bring all weapons under state control

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will begin a three-day visit to Lebanon on Wednesday. EPA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's historic visit to Beirut on Wednesday will largely focus on finding a solution to disarming Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps and bringing them under the control of Lebanese authorities, officials from each side have told The National.

The long-time Palestinian leader will arrive in the Lebanese capital for a three-day visit to meet Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, and launch a dialogue related to disarming Palestinian factions in the country.

Mr Abbas will also broach the subject of expanded rights for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, according to Serhan Serhan, the deputy secretary of Fatah in Lebanon – although he denied that Mr Abbas would demand those rights in exchange for disarmament.

"We've prepared several files on refugee rights to be discussed ahead of the President's visit," he said.

The task ahead will be tricky. Lebanon's 12 official Palestinian refugee camps are outside the Lebanese state's control and are governed by an array of Palestinian factions – including those opposed to Mr Abbas.

The camps, which are spread out across Lebanon, are under the authority of different groups including Mr Abbas's Fatah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions. The absence of the state inside the camps has made some a haven for outlaws and Islamist extremists. Weapons are rife and outbreaks of violence are common – some groups are deeply opposed to each other.

According to retired General Security head and veteran negotiator General Abbas Ibrahim, “Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] will go all the way,” to find a solution. The Palestinian President will arrive with the aim of reaching a peaceful consensus, but Lebanese security sources did not rule out the use of force as a last resort if the disarmament plan is met with resistance.

“Using force will put the Lebanese Armed Forces in a difficult position," he added. "The government has to launch a dialogue with the Palestinians. Nothing good can happen through force."

A Lebanese security source hinted that Mr Abbas may work towards disarming the camps – and bringing them under Lebanese state control – in exchange for wider Palestinian rights.

“We think these meetings will turn into a plan with the Palestinian factions to allow the army to enter the camps. Yesterday there were clashes inside Shatila and we can't even enter. We should be able to enter,” said the security source, referring to one of the Palestinian camps in Beirut where fighting broke out on Monday.

Fatah fighters stand guard at one of Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps, which are under the control of several different factions. AP

By agreement, the Lebanese army is not allowed to enter the Palestinian camps. “We try not to interfere by taking the weapons by force. We would prefer to reach an agreement through negotiations and discussions,” the security source added.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live in Lebanon, their forebears or they themselves having originally been expelled from their homes in 1948 in the displacement that led to the creation of the state of Israel. They do not have the right to Lebanese citizenship and are therefore unable to access state benefits such as health care and education. They are also restricted in the jobs they can undertake.

Services in the camps, where living conditions are often grim, are instead provided with the support of UNRWA and non-governmental organisations. The arrival of Mr Abbas comes as Lebanon moves forward with the difficult goal of bringing all non-state arms under its control.

Lebanon plans to use Egypt’s military expertise to dismantle and disarm Palestinian militant factions operating within its borders, President Joseph Aoun said during a visit to Cairo on Monday. Mr Aoun was elected in January in the wake of Israel's devastating war on Lebanon last year. He said he wants to bring all weapons under state control as soon as possible, but has stressed this must be done via diplomatic means.

While in recent months the discourse over disarming non-state groups has been chiefly focused on the Lebanese political party and armed group Hezbollah, it has also increasingly included weapons in the Palestinian camps.

The UAE recently lifted a travel ban on its citizens visiting Lebanon, signalling a potential thaw in relations between Lebanon and Gulf states.

President Abbas last visited Lebanon in 2017.