In a landmark decision during the first meeting of the joint Lebanese-Palestinian executive committee on Friday, Lebanese authorities approved a phased plan to seize all weapons – heavy, medium and light – from Palestinian refugee camps across the country.
According to a report by Al-Arabiya citing government sources, factions that refuse to cooperate with the disarmament effort risk facing serious repercussions, including the revocation of entry visas and expulsion from Lebanese territory.
The withdrawal of arms is scheduled to begin in mid-June in the Beirut-area camps of Burj al-Barajneh, Shatila and Mar Elias. The operation will then expand in July to camps in the Beqaa Valley, northern Lebanon, and the south – with a particular focus on those controlled by the Fatah movement.
Ain al-Helweh, the largest and most volatile camp in Lebanon, presents the most significant challenge. The disarmament plan divides the camp into three zones based on factional control: one under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), another dominated by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and a third governed by radical Islamist groups.
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