Lebanon postpones disarmament of Palestinian factions in Beirut camps

Lebanon has delayed a planned handover of weapons by Palestinian factions in three Beirut refugee camps, blaming escalating regional tensions and unresolved Palestinian divisions.

The disarmament, scheduled to begin Monday, has been derailed by the Israeli-Iranian war and its growing impact on Lebanon's internal stability. While Lebanon has maintained official neutrality, the fallout from the conflict is now directly obstructing key domestic priorities.

Sources told The New Arab’s Arabic edition that President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam were adamant that the delay would not become indefinite. Despite the current instability, they view the weapons handover as a critical national objective.

Lebanese officials, however, expressed frustration, accusing Palestinian factions of exploiting the regional crisis as a "pretext" to stall progress. They said the real reason for the delay lies in internal Palestinian disputes and the failure to honour prior commitments made to Lebanese authorities.

To push the process forward, Lebanon's Palestinian-Lebanese Dialogue Committee and relevant security bodies are set to convene this week to revisit the implementation timeline and uphold pledges made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during visit to Beirut last month.

According to Lebanese sources cited by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, while the regional war has shifted international focus and slowed some files, the disarmament initiative remains a red-line issue for the Lebanese state.

The withdrawal is to proceed in stages, beginning with Beirut's camps, followed by those in the Bekaa, the north, and finally the south. Authorities have also made clear they will closely monitor Palestinian groups to ensure none are drawn into the Israeli-Iranian conflict or carry out rocket attacks from Lebanese territory.

Palestinian sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the delay was linked to the volatile security situation. A key delegation, comprising legal and security officials led by PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Azzam al-Ahmad, was unable to travel to Beirut as planned due to the regional escalation.

While there is consensus among Palestinian factions on the need to resolve the weapons issue, sources acknowledged that disagreements over key details persist. They said the decision to postpone was driven primarily by the evolving conflict and not a lack of political will.

On 21 May, Aoun and Abbas reaffirmed their commitment to the principle of exclusive state control over weapons and the dismantling of any parallel armed presence. A joint committee was established to oversee implementation and has since begun its work.

During his three-day visit to Beirut, Abbas met senior Lebanese officials to discuss reinforcing state sovereignty, particularly within the Palestinian refugee camps.

On 26 May, President Aoun briefed a US congressional delegation on the outcome of those talks, confirming that a phased disarmament had been agreed and was set to begin in mid-June with three camps in Beirut.