Inside the struggle to disarm Palestinian camps in Lebanon: Leadership shake-up and divided loyalties

Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The Palestinian weapons handover process, initially scheduled to begin in mid-June from the Beirut camps, was delayed due to disagreements among Palestinian factions and within the Fatah movement itself.

The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, determined to proceed, replaced its ambassador to Beirut, Ashraf Dabbour, who had called for organizing weapons rather than handing them over. Mohammad al-Assaad, the Palestinian Ambassador to Mauritania, was appointed as his successor and is expected to arrive in Beirut within a week to assume his duties.

A delegation from the Palestinian national security committees will visit ahead of al-Assaad’s arrival to coordinate with the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee overseeing the file, as well as with the relevant Lebanese military and security authorities.

Yasser Abbas, son of the Palestinian Authority president, is personally overseeing the file on behalf of his father.

In July, the Palestinian Authority held an organizational workshop in Lebanon, which included reshuffling leadership positions within the Palestine Liberation Organization and Fatah’s first and second ranks in Lebanon, particularly among critics of the authority’s decision.

However, implementation will be difficult given the multiple loyalties of Palestinian factions in Lebanon, including those opposing or hostile to the Palestine Liberation Organization, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

According to information obtained by LBCI, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam remains in contact with President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Authority officials committed to implementing the decision. 

However, the plan appears to start with Palestinian camps south of the Litani River — Rashidieh, El-Buss, and Borj el-Chmali — instead of the Beirut camps, with the intention of gradually collecting weapons from the nine remaining camps.

Despite the Palestinian Authority’s eagerness, implementation on the ground is not easy. Decisions regarding the camps are not unified, and opponents outnumber supporters. 

Consequently, the Lebanese government faces the challenge of pressuring Palestinian factions to comply with the weapons handover decision, as extending state control over its territory requires strong will and determination.