Lebanon begins disarmament of Palestinian resistance groups in refugee camps
The process will be carried out in phases as per an agreement between the Palestinian Authority and the Lebanese state.
Entrance to the Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camp in southern Beirut. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Palestinian Authority announced on Thursday, August 21, that it has reached an agreement with the Lebanese State to embark on the process of handing over the weapons possessed by Palestinian resistance groups in refugee camps across Lebanon to the Lebanese Army.
Abu Rudainah, the spokesperson for the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, clarified that the process will be carried out in phases, and that the first batch of weapons was already handed over on Thursday by Palestinian representatives in the Burj al-Barajneh and Al-Buss refugee camps.
A joint communique had already been issued last May after Abbas met his Lebanese counterpart in the Lebanese capital Beirut, affirming the principle of enforcing the monopoly of the Lebanese State on arms, and emphasizing “the importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.”
The decision to disarm the Palestinian resistance factions is part of a wider plan set by the Lebanese government to confine arms to the state in compliance with the instructions of the United States.
Arab States are cracking down on resistance despite Netanyahu’s expressed intention to implement the “Greater Israel” project
For decades, resistance groups across the West Asia region have emerged as the sole force to confront the Israeli occupation and halt its plan to grab more territory, amid complete inaction by state armies.
However, the last couple of years saw an unprecedented crackdown on these groups not only by Arab states, but also by the Palestinian Authority, seemingly in an effort to appease the United States, the number one supporter and ally of Israel.
Last week, Arab states received a heavy blow by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he bluntly revealed his intention to implement the expansionist “Greater Israel” project, which targets six Arab states other than occupied Palestine.
Instead of rallying around the resistance movements and unifying the efforts of all state and non-state actors to confront Israel’s colonial ambitions, Arab states have remained determined to crush the resistance and consequently debilitate the entire Arab nation.
