Palestinian Presidential spokesperson: Weapons inside Palestinian camps in Lebanon to be handed over to the Lebanese Army

Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that "the State of Palestine announced that an agreement has been reached with the Lebanese state to start handing over the weapons inside the Palestinian camps to the Lebanese army as a deposit."

Abu Rudeineh added that the competent Palestinian authorities handed over the first batch of weapons in the Borj El Brajneh and El-Buss camps to the Lebanese Army on Thursday, with the rest of the camps soon to follow. 

He explained that this came by the presidential statement issued by the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Lebanese President, General Joseph Aoun, on May 21, following their official talks session held in the capital Beirut. 

During the meeting, President Abbas affirmed the depth of Palestinian-Lebanese fraternal relations, strengthening cooperation and coordination between the two countries and brotherly peoples, and supporting the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent free state on June 4, 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

Abu Rudeineh pointed out that the two sides affirmed their adherence to the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their homes from which they were displaced, in accordance with international resolution 194, and their rejection of all resettlement and displacement projects.

He explained that the two sides agreed to form a joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee to follow up on the conditions of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon and work to improve the living and humanitarian conditions of the refugees, while respecting Lebanese sovereignty and abiding by Lebanese laws.

Abu Rudeineh noted that the two sides emphasized their commitment to providing the human, social, and economic rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, guaranteeing them a decent life without compromising their right of return or affecting their national identity.

The two sides emphasized their commitment to the principle of the exclusive control of weapons by the Lebanese state over its entire territory, the end of any manifestations contrary to this, and the importance of respecting the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Lebanon.

The two presidents emphasized the importance of maintaining security and safety for our people in the camps, in order to reach a stable security situation in full coordination between the competent agencies in the Lebanese Republic and the State of Palestine.