A meeting of Palestinian factions from the 12 official refugee camps in Lebanon will be held next week, a member of the Fatah faction told The National on Tuesday, amid criticism from rival groups that they had been excluded from consultations over the decision for all factions to surrender their weapons to Lebanese authorities.
“There was supposed to be a meeting today or tomorrow with the Joint Palestinian Action Committee, which includes all factions – Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Islamist forces – but most of the leadership in the Hamas-PIJ coalition is currently travelling outside Lebanon,” said Abu Iyad Al Shaalan, a member of Fatah’s leadership in Lebanon.
“So, the meeting has been rescheduled for immediately after Eid.”
Despite the absence of Hamas and PIJ from the decision-making process, a delegation led by deputy head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Azzam Al Ahmad is in Beirut to discuss the next steps towards implementing a multiphase plan to disarm Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps in the coming weeks. The plan seeks the surrender of medium to heavy weaponry but will allow Palestinian security forces to keep light arms.
Hamas’s leadership in Lebanon voiced dissatisfaction with what it suggested was a unilateral decision by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, but has made no further public comment.
“Right now, there’s no fixed appointment for after Eid,” a Hamas source told The National. “We haven’t been informed of the disarmament plan in any official capacity.”
The source said “bypassing” factions outside the Fatah-dominated PLO, such as Hamas and the PIJ, has “upset many of the factions”.
“No one knows the factional structure of the camps except the Palestinians of Lebanon. Everyone who is speaking on behalf of the Palestinians in Lebanon is coming from Ramallah, and they don’t know how to administer the camps or maintain the balance,” the source said, referring to the Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank where the PA has its headquarters.
Mr Al Shaalan said the disarming the refugee camps would begin in mid-June as planned, despite “a few voices of disagreement here and there, but they don’t affect Fatah or the PLO’s decision”.
“Everyone is comfortable with the plan that is being discussed and with the proposals being made,” he said, referring to a series of meetings between the PLO delegation and Lebanese officials.
The issue of disarming Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, which fall outside Lebanese state control, has long been a contentious one. Armed groups such as Hamas and PIJ – aligned with Hezbollah and committed to armed resistance against Israel – have previously used Lebanon as a launch pad for attacks across the border. They also have popular support in many of the camps.
Disarming the camps comes under a broader initiative by Lebanese leaders to limit and disarm non-state actors. But the memory of Lebanon's 1975–1990 civil war – during which Palestinian militias were among the main participants, alongside a series of Lebanese factions and international proxies – still lingers for many Palestinians, who view weapons as essential for self-defence. Weaponry also holds deep symbolic value for Palestinians in Lebanon, many of whom were expelled from their land in 1948 during the Nakba, which marked the creation of what is now Israel. For them, arms represent not only protection but a continuing struggle to return to their homeland.
The PA is internationally recognised as the governing body of parts of the Palestinian territories, but its legitimacy is contested by many Palestinians. In Lebanon, Palestinian refugee camps are not governed by the PA, but by inter-factional committees – some of whom do not pledge loyalty to the PA.
Under a long-standing arrangement, the Lebanese army does not enter the Palestinian camps, leaving security to be handled by the factions themselves. That arrangement may be coming to an end with the moves towards disarming the camps.
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Poacher
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
