Today, Monday, the Lebanese security authorities announced an agreement on an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Ain al-Hilweh camp (south of the country) and to follow up on the extradition of wanted persons against the backdrop of the recent violence in the camp that left 10 dead and dozens injured.
This came in a statement by the Lebanese General Security following the end of a meeting in Beirut with the Joint Palestinian Action Committee in Lebanon, which includes representatives of all Palestinian factions, at the invitation of the Acting Director General of Public Security, Elias Al-Bisari, and in the presence of the Chairman of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Basil Al-Hassan.
The Lebanese security statement stated that it was agreed during the meeting on an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and to follow up on the handover of those wanted for the assassination of the Palestinian National Security Commander, Major General Abu Ashraf Al-Armushi and 4 of his companions, as well as Abdul Rahman Farhoud (who belongs to the Muslim Youth Gathering) to the Lebanese authorities according to a mechanism that was agreed upon. On it, without further details.
In this context, Anatolia Agency quoted an official Palestinian source as saying that the meeting that took place with the Lebanese General Security confirmed that the ceasefire had been established since seven in the evening on Monday (local time), and that the joint Palestinian force was assigned to summon the accused (8 people) to hand them over to the Lebanese judiciary.
The source – who preferred to remain anonymous – said, “The agreement is good if implemented, but whoever does not surrender himself according to the first agreement will not surrender himself according to the agreement that was concluded today, especially since one of them called Izz al-Din Abu Daoud (Dabaya) was killed during the clashes today.” “.
The responsible source ruled out that the remaining seven people would surrender themselves, so it will not be easy for the clashes to stop, he said.
Earlier Monday, the official Lebanese News Agency reported that one of the prominent wanted persons from the “Muslim Youth” group in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, called Izz al-Din Abu Daoud Dhabaya, was transferred to a hospital with serious injuries during the camp clashes, and at the same time an intelligence force arrived. Army to the place.
In the same context, the Governor of the South Region, Mansour Daou, announced – in a statement on Monday – the closure of the official departments operating in Saraya Sidon, due to security developments, in order to ensure the safety of citizens and employees.
10 dead
These developments come at a time when the death toll has reached 10 people, while dozens were injured in renewed violence in the Ain al-Hilweh camp.
After a month-long ceasefire, fighting renewed at the weekend, leading to the killing of at least 10 people, according to two Palestinian sources in the camp. Six of them belong to the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), and two others belong to other Islamic factions.
A Lebanese security source and two Palestinian sources said that the remaining two were civilians, adding that a person was killed the day before yesterday, Saturday, when a stray bullet as a result of the clashes reached a town near the camp.
A Lebanese Army statement said that 5 soldiers were injured, one of them in critical condition, as a result of 3 shells falling on two centers belonging to army units deployed around the camp.
Ain al-Hilweh camp has witnessed several rounds of clashes since late July between the Fatah movement and Islamist fighters, resulting in more than 10 deaths in the first round.
Ain al-Hilweh camp is the largest of the 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon, and includes about 80,000 out of a total of up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees across the country, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The renewed violence raised fears that the clashes might extend to the neighboring city of Sidon, as sniper bullets hit neighborhoods in the city, whose southern entrance was closed to traffic, according to the official National News Agency, which reported – last Saturday – that 3 fighters were killed, as well as a civilian outside the camp.
It is noteworthy that the warring parties had reached a ceasefire agreement last Friday following a meeting in a Lebanese army barracks, in the presence of representatives of the Fatah movement and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
The recent clashes led to the displacement of dozens of families from the camp, while others sought refuge in mosques in the city of Sidon and the municipal headquarters.
Residents fear a scenario similar to what happened in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian camp (north of the country), where the Lebanese army launched a 15-week attack to expel Islamic groups in 2007.
UNRWA said that armed factions took over 8 of its schools, forcing the agency to provide alternatives to host students as the start of the school year approaches.
The Lebanese army or security forces do not enter the camps according to previous implicit agreements, leaving the task of maintaining security there to the Palestinians themselves, while the Lebanese army imposes strict measures around them.
2023-09-11 18:11:00
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