The official spokesman of the Palestinian Fatah movement, Abdel Fattah Dawla, reiterated on Sunday his group’s commitment, under the authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to cooperate with Lebanese authorities in disarming Palestinian camps across Lebanon.
“The delivery to the Lebanese government on Friday of a third batch of weapons belonging to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) marks the largest such handover since July 1991. It includes a range of heavy weapons and is expected to cover 10 of the 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon,” he said in a statement. The two camps not included are believed to be Mar Elias in Beirut and Dbayeh, north of the capital.
According to Dawla, the effort is being led by the Palestinian National Security Forces. “It is being carried out in full coordination with Lebanese security services, with the shared goal of consolidating the authority of the Lebanese state across all its territory and ensuring that weapons remain solely in the hands of the state,” he added.
He noted that this initiative stems from an agreement reached on May 21 between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. That agreement, he said, “lays the groundwork for a new phase of fraternal partnership between the two peoples, built on respect for Lebanese sovereignty and a commitment to uphold Lebanese law.”
Dawla also stressed that the accord includes measures to improve the social and economic conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, ensuring them a dignified life and protecting them from exploitation, without undermining their right of return or paving the way for naturalization.
Comments