Abbas expects Lebanon could ban Hamas, as Palestinian refugee camps disarm

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has indicated that Lebanon could be considering banning Hamas as Lebanese authorities continue disarming Palestinian camps, the Al-Akhbar newspaper has reported.

Envoys from the Palestinian Authority overseeing the handover of weapons from refugee camps in Lebanon mentioned this during meetings with Lebanese officials, Al-Akhbar cited local sources as saying.

This would aim to "expose Hamas, isolate it, and portray it as illegitimate," Al-Akhbar added.

Abbas's Fatah Movement began handing over weapons to the Lebanese army from a camp south of Beirut last week, in a move that has been delayed since mid-June.

The disarmament comes after a Beirut summit between Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in May, where the two agreed that all weapons in Lebanon’s Palestinian camps must be surrendered to the state.

The Lebanese government has vowed to impose a monopoly on all arms in the country, including those of Hezbollah which came out badly weakened from last year’s war with Israel.

The Iran-backed group, however, has refused to give up its weapons.

Hamas, which has a longtime rivalry with Fatah, has also publicly refused to hand over its weapons, citing security concerns in the camps. The delay in disarming the camps was partly due to divisions among Palestinian groups.

Lebanese officials say the presence of weapons in these camps undermines Lebanese stability and sovereignty and do not serve the Palestinian cause.

Hamas was already given a stern warning by the Lebanese Supreme Defence Council earlier this year following rocket fire from southern Lebanon into northern Israel that prompted an Israeli response.

The council warned Hamas in May not to conduct operations that could compromise the country's security or sovereignty. A number of people in the Palestinian group were arrested for the rocket fire incident.

Hamas has a longstanding presence within Lebanon, including in camps across the country that host hundreds of thousands of long-time Palestinian refugees, and where, by convention, Lebanese security forces do not intervene.

Israeli airstrikes have killed several Hamas commanders in Lebanon, including the group's deputy chief in January 2024.

Disarmament in south Lebanon camps

Fatah on Thursday handed to the Lebanese army several trucks of heavy and medium weapons, as both Lebanese and Palestinian officials said the May decision to disarm the camps would be fully implemented.

Weapons were handed over in three camps surrounding the southern coastal city of Tyre: Rashidieh, Al-Buss, and Burj al-Shamali.

These are the only camps situated south of the Litani River where UN peacekeepers operate alongside the Lebanese army.

The handover began in Rashidieh, the largest of camp in the area, under the supervision of Palestinian National Security Commander Major General Subhi Abu Arab.

At least eight trucks were loaded with B-7s, mortars, Grads and other weapons, according to reports and images shared online.

According to a statement by the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, six of the trucks were from Rashidieh, one from Al-Buss, and one from Burj al-Shamali.

"The remaining phases will be completed in the remaining camps according to the agreed-upon plan," the committee said.

The Palestinian ambassador to Beirut, Ramez Dimashqieh, who also heads the Dialogue Committee commended the disarmament process on Thursday as a "positive thing," adding that "Hamas will see that this is in the best interest of the camps, and we are communicating with everyone."

The camps' disarmament began last week, when Fatah handed over a truckload of weapons to the army in the Burj al-Barajneh camp in the southern suburbs of Beirut. More weapons are expected to be taken from that camp on Friday.