Lebanon Kicks Off 4th Phase of Arms Crackdown in Palestinian Camps

(MENAFN) Lebanon has entered the fourth phase of a sweeping campaign to disarm Palestinian refugee camps, with military units initiating weapons collection on Saturday from the Beddawi camp in the north and Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in the south, media reported.

Security forces were deployed in heightened numbers around the camps as the operation got underway, underscoring the government’s push to consolidate arms under state control.

This latest move builds on previous disarmament phases carried out in recent weeks. On August 21, the army began with Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut’s southern suburbs. This was followed by operations in Rashidieh, Al-Buss, and Burj al-Shamali near Tyre on August 28, and then Mar Elias, Shatila, and a second round in Burj al-Barajneh on August 29.

The campaign follows a significant policy shift by Lebanon’s Cabinet, which last month declared that all weapons — including those held by Hezbollah — must be brought under state authority. The Lebanese Armed Forces were tasked with finalizing a plan by the end of August and executing it before the end of 2025.

Still, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem firmly rejected the idea of disarmament under the present circumstances, insisting that the group would only consider relinquishing its weapons if Israel fully withdrew from occupied Lebanese land, ceased hostilities, released detainees, and allowed reconstruction to commence.

The region has seen relative calm since a ceasefire was brokered in November 2024, ending months of escalating conflict that peaked in a full-scale war in September 2024 between Israel and Hezbollah.

As part of that truce, Israel was expected to complete a full withdrawal from southern Lebanon by January. However, it has only partially pulled back, retaining control over five outposts along the border.

Lebanon is home to over 493,000 Palestinian refugees, most of whom live in challenging conditions inside camps operated by Palestinian factions. These arrangements date back to the 1969 Cairo Agreement, which allowed Palestinian groups a degree of autonomy within the camps.

Though there are 12 UNRWA-recognized camps, the Lebanese military and police forces do not enter them, instead enforcing strict security measures on their perimeters.

MENAFN14092025000045017169ID1110058256