Elio Ernesto Abu Hanna, a young chemistry graduate, died on Sunday from injuries sustained after being shot by Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint at the entrance of the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, an area where armed factions continue to operate outside the control of the Lebanese state.
According to relatives and friends, Abu Hanna was driving home from Badaro when he mistakenly took a road leading to the camp’s entrance. There, he encountered a checkpoint manned by Palestinian security forces. Witnesses said Abu Hanna may have failed to stop, either out of fear or because he did not recognize the armed group, prompting the gunmen to open fire directly on his vehicle.
His car continued a short distance before crashing into a nearby building. Abu Hanna was later pronounced dead from his wounds. Medical reports confirmed that he was struck by a fatal bullet, and his car was found riddled with dozens of gunshots.
In a statement issued Monday, the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC) condemned what it called “a heinous crime,” offering condolences to Abu Hanna’s family and loved ones. The committee said it was following the investigation to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The LPDC stressed that the tragedy underscores how the continued presence of weapons in the hands of armed Palestinian factions inside Lebanon’s camps “serves neither the Palestinian cause nor its people,” but instead poses a serious threat to Lebanon’s stability and public safety.
Reiterating its stance, the committee reaffirmed its commitment to restricting weapons exclusively to the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions and to extending state authority across all Lebanese territory.
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