Joseph Aoun, Mahmoud Abbas declare end to weapons outside Lebanon state control

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Wednesday that the time had come to end the presence of weapons outside the control of the Lebanese state, marking a rare joint stance on a long-standing source of tension.

Following talks at the Baabda Presidential Palace in Beirut, the two leaders issued a joint statement affirming their support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.

Abbas said Palestinian factions would not use Lebanese territory for military purposes, adding that both sides had suffered from decades of instability linked to non-state arms.

Abbas began a three-day visit to Lebanon on Wednesday at Aoun’s invitation and is expected to meet senior officials, including Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

The two presidents emphasised the need for stronger coordination between Lebanese and Palestinian authorities to maintain order in and around refugee camps, many of which have operated outside the full reach of the state. A new joint committee will be formed to monitor camp conditions and improve living standards, while respecting Lebanese law.

The statement also reiterated Palestinian commitment to Lebanon's official policy of non-intervention in regional conflicts and pledged to prevent the camps from becoming safe havens for armed groups. Both leaders agreed to expand cooperation in combating extremism.

Aoun and Abbas also urged the United States and France to pressure Israel to abide by a ceasefire deal reached in November, withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory, and release Lebanese detainees. They called for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and mandates a UN-monitored buffer zone.

On the wider Palestinian issue, both leaders rejected any plans for resettling refugees in Lebanon and reaffirmed their support for the right of return, as outlined in UN Resolution 194. They also called for more international funding for UNRWA, the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, and condemned Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza as a humanitarian disaster requiring urgent global action.

Tensions over weapons in camps

Abbas' visit comes amid renewed scrutiny over Palestinian weapons in Lebanon, especially following a recent ceasefire with Israel and warnings from Lebanese officials to Hamas over rocket fire. Earlier this month, Lebanon's Supreme Defence Council recommended that the government formally caution Hamas against actions that could endanger national security.

While Hamas officials declined to comment on the visit, some Palestinian sources said it was unlikely to change conditions on the ground.

"The issue isn’t just weapons - it’s about a displaced population under occupation," one source told The New Arab, pointing out that Abbas was yet to visit any of the 12 refugee camps in Lebanon or address their worsening living conditions.

The Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, headed by Ambassador Ramzi Damaschkieh and including representatives from all Palestinian factions, was identified as the key forum for addressing arms and broader coordination between both sides.

Ziad El Sayegh, a geopolitical analyst, criticised the Lebanese government for its failure to address illegal arms over several decades.

Despite the cancellation of the 1969 Cairo Agreement and various resolutions, including UN Resolutions 1559 and 1701, no meaningful progress has been made, he said.

Sayegh noted that efforts to disarm Palestinian groups were derailed after the 2007 Nahr al-Bared conflict, largely due to shifting regional power dynamics involving Iran and Syria. He argued that "forces of de facto power" have blocked sovereign reform for 40 years.

Now, he said, Lebanon has an opportunity to move the camps from "militarisation to security", if the state is willing to act. That would require a serious plan from the Supreme Defence Council and cabinet approval without delay. He also called for breaking what he described as a structural military relationship between Hamas and Hezbollah, fostered by Iran, and urged the Palestinian Authority to support Lebanon’s sovereignty.

"The state has long neglected its responsibilities," he said. "That must end."