Lebanon Begins Disarmament Of Palestinian Factions In Refugee Camps

Lebanon said on Thursday it was launching the planned disarmament of Palestinian factions in refugee camps, part of a wider effort to establish a state monopoly on arms.

The planned disarmament was starting with the handover of weapons on Thursday from the Burj Al Barajneh camp in Beirut to the Lebanese army, the Lebanese prime minister's office said.

The move is meant to mark the start of a broader disarmament effort, with additional deliveries expected in the coming weeks from Burj Al Barajneh and other camps across the country, the office said in a statement.

An official from Fatah told Reuters that the only weapons being handed over so far were illegal arms that entered the camp 24 hours ago. TV footage showed army vehicles entering the camp ahead of a handover. Reuters could not independently verify what arms were being handed over.

As part of a truce with Israel struck in November and backed by the United States, Lebanon committed to restricting arms to six specific state security forces, in a challenge to Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah.

The cabinet has tasked the army with drawing up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year.

The initiative to disarm Palestinian factions is part of an agreement reached during a May 21 summit between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which affirmed Lebanon's sovereignty and the principle that only the state should bear arms, the statement from the prime minister's office said.

Two days later, Lebanese and Palestinian officials agreed on a timeline and mechanism for disarmament, the statement said.

Palestinian factions have long operated with relative autonomy in several of Lebanon's 12 refugee camps, which fall largely outside the jurisdiction of the Lebanese state. The latest handover represents the most serious bid in years to address weapons held inside the camps.

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