Disarming of Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps to begin in mid-June

Decision to implement disarmament was made without Hamas representation

The process to disarm Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps will begin in mid-June, Lebanese officials told The National on Friday, despite Hamas criticism that the framework for implementing demilitarisation was adopted without their representation.

This meeting was attended by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Lebanese security officials and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's visiting delegation – but not by Hamas representatives.

Nadine Marouk, director of the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee − an interministerial committee tasked with implementing the policies of the Lebanese government towards Palestinian refugees − said any disarmament would happen “with close co-ordination with the Palestinian security forces”.

“Mid-June has been set as a start date with no detailed timeline. Intensive meetings will take place in the coming days and in the coming two to three weeks,” she said.

A Lebanese government official told The National that disarmament would begin in Beirut's Shatila, Burj Al Barajneh and Mar Elias Palestinian refugee camps, before moving on to camps in other parts of the country. The move to disarm the camps is based on an accord with Mr Abbas.

Hamas − a rival of Mr Abbas's Fatah faction that dominates the PA − said all Palestinian groups should have been included in the decision.

“What was included in the joint Lebanese-Palestinian statement represents only the Palestinian Authority. We did not participate in the outcomes of the meeting,” said Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha.

“It would have been more appropriate for it to emerge from the Joint Palestinian Action Committee and be adopted by President Mahmoud Abbas.”

The Joint Palestinian Action Committee represents all Palestinian groups in Lebanon.

Ali Baraka, Hamas's head of foreign relations, urged the Lebanese government to hold a dialogue with all Palestinian factions present in Lebanon.

“We call on the Lebanese government to open a responsible dialogue with the Joint Palestinian Action Committee, which includes all Palestinian factions and forces, to discuss the Palestinian situation from all its aspects,” Mr Baraka said.

“Limiting the discussion to the security framework alone could open the door to the trap of resettlement or displacement, which is what [Israel] seeks.”

By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army stays out of the Palestinian camps where Mr Abbas's Fatah movement, Hamas and other armed groups are present. This leaves the factions to handle security.

Mr Abbas has been in Beirut since Wednesday for talks on disarming the refugee camps, as well as the legal expansion of Palestinian rights, as Lebanon seeks to impose its authority on all its territory.

A statement from the joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee released by Mr Salam's office said it agreed to “launch the process of handing over weapons according to a specific timetable, accompanied by practical steps to bolster the economic and social rights of Palestinian refugees”.

The issue of disarming Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps, which are not under Lebanese state control, has long been one of contention. Palestinian groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, dedicated to armed resistance against Israel and allied with Hezbollah, have frequently used Lebanon as a base to launch rockets at Israel.

Furthermore, many Palestinians who recall Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war see weapons as necessary for self-defence in the refugee camps. But others maintain that weapons have become tools for drug violence and internal political rivalries.

Lebanon hosts about 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the UN agency UNRWA, many of whom live in the 12 overcrowded camps.

Most are direct refugees or descendants of Palestinians who were expelled from their land during a violent mass removal that led to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

They face a variety of legal restrictions in Lebanon, including on employment.