Lebanon begins disarming Palestinian camp south of Beirut after May deal with PA

Armed Palestinian groups in a refugee camp near Beirut began handing over weapons to Lebanese authorities on Thursday, following a disarmament deal reached in May that was originally scheduled to start in June.

The handover started in Burj al-Barajneh camp in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where an initial batch of arms was placed in the custody of the Lebanese army.

Additional deliveries are expected in the coming weeks in Burj al-Barajneh and other camps.

"Today marks the beginning of the first phase of the process of handing over weapons from inside the Palestinian camps," Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee chairman Ramez Dimashqieh said in a statement.

Dozens of fighters in military fatigues carrying Kalashnikov rifles were seen near the entrance of the camp by AFP correspondents, as Lebanese forces began deploying in the area.

A Palestinian security official told AFP that "Fatah will begin handing over its weapons in Burj al-Barajneh camp within the framework of the coordination with the Lebanese army".

Another Fatah official told reporters that "not all weapons will be handed over", explaining that light arms will be retained. He said the weapons transferred on Thursday were "illegal arms that entered the camp".

The initiative comes after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Beirut in May and reached an agreement with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that all weapons in Palestinian camps would be surrendered to the state.

A Palestinian security source in Burj al-Barajneh described the move as largely symbolic.

"Fatah’s initiative in beginning to hand over weapons is symbolic, and came as a result of an agreement between Aoun and the Palestinian president’s son, Yasser Abbas, who is currently visiting Beirut," the source said.

The goal, he added, was to "encourage the remaining (Palestinian armed) factions to take the same step," though other influential groups in the camp "have not yet decided to hand over their weapons".

Local media reported that the process would start with heavy and medium weapons.

According to Almodon news site, some of the arms handed over Thursday were seized from a warehouse belonging to Shadi al-Far, the former head of Fatah in Burj al-Barajneh who was dismissed in July for opposing PA decisions in Lebanon. Al-Far, who had an arrest warrant against him, was detained at a Beirut hotel on Wednesday evening.

The cache included heavy machine guns, 107mm rockets, B-10 recoilless rifles, other missiles, and large quantities of ammunition, Almodon reported.

The disarmament plan, agreed in May, was delayed by internal Palestinian divisions and the 12-day Israel-Iran war. The strategy calls for starting with Beirut-area camps - Mar Elias, Shatila, and Burj al-Barajneh - before extending to the remaining nine camps across Lebanon.

The largest and most volatile camp, Ain al-Hilweh near Sidon, has long been plagued by clashes involving Palestinian factions, Islamist militants, and outlaws. There are concerns that forcibly disarming groups there could trigger violent clashes.

By long-standing convention, Lebanese forces do not enter Palestinian camps and rely on coordination with local security committees.

But many Lebanese political parties say this arrangement must end, arguing that the presence of weapons undermines both Palestinian and Lebanese stability.

Lebanon has also vowed to disarm all armed groups in the country, including Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with Israel last year.

Earlier this month, the cabinet tasked the army with drawing up a plan to dismantle Hezbollah's arsenal, a move described as unprecedented.

While most Hezbollah sites south of the Litani River have reportedly been dismantled, the group is still believed to possess ballistic missiles, precision-guided rockets, and drones.

(AFP, The New Arab)