The Lebanese Army on Thursday launched its largest weapons collection operation since the end of the civil war, targeting Palestinian refugee camps both south and north of the Litani River. The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to ensure that arms remain solely under state control.
The campaign began in the Tyre region, covering the Burj Al-Shamali, Al-Buss, and Rashidieh camps. The mainstream Fatah Movement handed over a significant cache of weapons in Rashidieh, including heavy arms and Grad rockets, according to reports.
A security source reported that the army received from the Fatah Movement seven truckloads of heavy weapons from the Rashidieh camp.
The head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ambassador Ramez Dimashkiyeh, noted that the first batch of medium and heavy weapons was handed over to the Lebanese Army from Rashidieh camp, with another batch expected to arrive from the Al-Buss and Burj al-Shamali camps.
Dimashkiyeh considered the withdrawal of weapons from three Palestinian camps south of the Litani River to be “a very positive step,” adding that “Hamas will see this move as being in the interest of the camps, and we are in contact with everyone.”
He confirmed that the weapons handover process will continue tomorrow in Palestinian camps in Beirut.
Local news agency Al-Markazia said the army will store the collected weapons at its barracks in Tyre.
Meanwhile, security sources noted that gunmen fired shots in the air inside Rashidieh camp for reasons unrelated to the handover.
Eight Trucks of Weapons
According to the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, eight trucks of weapons have been handed over as part of the ongoing operation: six from the Rashidieh camp, one from the Buss camp, and one from Burj Al-Shamali. The next phases of the agreed plan will complete the collection from the remaining camps.
In an army barracks in city of Tyre, near the Rashidieh camp, an AFP photographer saw several army trucks arriving after the handover.
The committee emphasized that this stage represents a decisive milestone, confirming that the weapons handover process is proceeding with full determination and that there is no possibility of reversing course.
Palestinian Presidency Confirms
The spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, announced on Thursday that the Palestinian authorities in Lebanon have handed over the second batch of weapons from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) held in Lebanese Palestinian camps. This delivery covers the Rashidieh, Al-Buss, and Burj al-Shamali camps, with other camps to follow in the coming days. The weapons have been placed under temporary custody of the Lebanese Army.
“The operation follows the joint statement issued on May 21 by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. It represents a key step in Lebanese-Palestinian coordination aimed at securing the camps and centralizing control of arms under the authority of the Lebanese state”.
Abu Rudeineh reaffirmed that both parties remain committed to the exclusive monopoly of arms by the Lebanese state and to respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
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