Land reclamation in Damour: Lebanese Army reclaims land from Palestinian faction

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Residents of Damour remember how Israel once launched attacks towards one of the tunnels in Naameh. 

These tunnels were dug by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) from Damour to Naameh, where they took refuge after being expelled from Jordan in the early 1970s. The PFLP-GC established a secure military zone over large areas of land owned by the people of Damour.

Complaints from the residents of Damour reached the Directorate of Military Intelligence, which decided to mediate and reclaim the land for its rightful owners. 

Two years of negotiations, meticulous examination of maps, ownership deeds, and land measurements in coordination with the Municipality of Damour, resulted in the PFLP-GC agreeing to hand over 196,000 square meters.

The Lebanese Army's Engineering Regiment isolated the area, and a demining organization began its work last May. 

Approximately 16,000 square meters of war remnants and mines have been cleared so far, with ongoing efforts to remove suspicious objects in the area marked in purple, expected to be completed within three months.

The army will return the land to its owners once it is fully cleared. 

However, handing over the land does not mean vacating the PFLP-GC’s military positions in the tunnels. This is not the first time the PFLP-GC has cooperated with the Army Intelligence's efforts. 

Twelve years ago, Damour successfully separated its cemeteries from the faction's control. Nearly two years ago, the town regained its well and spring, which had been under the faction's authority for years. 

The initiative to return the land might pave the way for future negotiations to reclaim the remaining lands of the region's residents.