Can Lebanon achieve weapon-free Palestinian camps? A political and security challenge ahead

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Amid the changing dynamics in the region, the issue of Palestinian weapons inside the refugee camps in Lebanon remains one of the most complex matters.

In Lebanon, the intensive security efforts carried out by the Lebanese army intelligence over the years have successfully removed heavy weapons from major camps such as Baddawi and Borj El Brajneh. 

The Lebanese army also took control of five Palestinian military positions, most of which were affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command, including in Qousaya, Naameh, and Sultan Yaaqoub. 

However, the situation remains unresolved in the Ain al-Hilweh and Rashidieh camps in southern Lebanon, where the largest Palestinian factions and population are concentrated. 

Security sources note that disarming these camps would require a significant political agreement due to the complexities of factions that are linked to both domestic and external parties, with Hamas being the most prominent.

The issue of Palestinian weapons has resurfaced strongly with the anticipated visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Beirut, although no official date has been set by Lebanese authorities. 

It is worth noting that President Joseph Aoun had previously heard from Abbas on the sidelines of the Cairo summit, reaffirming the Palestinian Authority's commitment to Lebanon's security and stability, and emphasizing that refugees are under the Lebanese legal framework.

Anticipated talks follow recent discussions held by a Palestinian General Intelligence delegation in Lebanon, which included meetings with Bassel Al Hassan, head of the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee.

However, it is important to note that the discussions held by the delegation did not provide a detailed vision or directly address the issue of weapon handovers. 

Instead, they listened to the Lebanese strategy and explored ways to create a joint Lebanese-Palestinian mechanism to help reinforce Lebanese state authority within the camps.

Reinforcing state authority, according to the strategy developed by the Dialogue Committee, requires implementing security, service, and human rights strategies while adhering to the Lebanese Constitution's rejection of settlement. 

This plan, if realized despite its complexities, would allow the declaration of the camps as weapon-free, according to Al Hassan.

This strategy, which was initiated in 2022 before the recent changes in the region following the Gaza war, is now being revisited with Lebanon emphasizing the need to ensure that weapons remain in the hands of the state. 

At the same time, sources monitoring the situation have indicated that Israel is exerting pressure through intermediaries to disarm the Palestinian factions.