Lebanon Says It Is Beginning Disarmament Of Palestinian Factions In Refugee Camps

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon said connected Thursday it was launching nan planned disarmament of Palestinian factions successful exile camps, portion of a wider effort to found a authorities monopoly connected arms.

The planned disarmament was starting pinch nan handover of weapons connected Thursday from nan Burj al-Barajneh campy successful Beirut to nan Lebanese army, nan Lebanese premier minister’s agency said.

The move is meant to people nan commencement of a broader disarmament effort, pinch further deliveries expected successful nan coming weeks from Burj al-Barajneh and different camps crossed nan country, nan agency said successful a statement.

An charismatic from Fatah, a transnational Palestinian organization, told Reuters that nan only weapons being handed complete truthful acold were forbidden arms that entered nan campy 24 hours ago. TV footage showed service vehicles entering nan campy up of a handover. Reuters could not independently verify what arms were being handed over.

As portion of a truce pinch Israel struck successful November and backed by nan United States, Lebanon committed to restricting arms to six circumstantial authorities information forces, successful a situation to Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah.

The furniture has tasked nan service pinch drafting up a scheme to found a authorities monopoly connected arms by nan extremity of nan year.

The inaugural to disarm Palestinian factions is portion of an statement reached during a May 21 acme betwixt Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which affirmed Lebanon's sovereignty and nan rule that only nan authorities should carnivore arms, nan connection from nan premier minister’s agency said.

A Palestinian exile campy adjacent Tripoli, Lebanon successful 1955.Bettmann Archive / Getty Images file

Two days later, Lebanese and Palestinian officials agreed connected a timeline and system for disarmament, nan connection said.

Palestinian factions person agelong operated pinch comparative autonomy successful respective of Lebanon‘s 12 exile camps, which autumn mostly extracurricular nan jurisdiction of nan Lebanese state. The latest handover represents nan astir superior bid successful years to reside weapons held wrong nan camps.