Members of the Fatah Movement and a Palestinian armed group had agreed to a ceasefire but fighting erupted again on Saturday.
Renewed Clashes Among Palestinian Factions Claim Two Lives in Lebanese Refugee Camp
In a disturbing development, renewed clashes among Palestinian factions have claimed the lives of at least two individuals in a refugee camp located in southern Lebanon. State media reported that the ceasefire agreement, which had been previously established, was not honored by the rival factions involved in the conflict.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported that one person lost their life during the fighting within the confines of the Ein el-Hilweh camp, while another tragically fell victim to a stray bullet outside the camp. Additionally, several individuals were wounded outside the camp due to stray bullets. Witnesses recounted the harrowing sounds of heavy machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades reverberating throughout the camp and its vicinity, as conveyed by the dpa news agency.
These clashes, which erupted on a Saturday, unfolded within Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, setting members of the mainstream Fatah Movement against a Palestinian armed group that identifies itself as the Muslim Youth.
Reporting from the vicinity of the Ein el-Hilweh camp, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr highlighted the absence of any willingness from either side to back down in this deadly confrontation. Khodr reported, “Efforts to end the fighting have so far failed. Ceasefire agreements have broken down time and time again. The Fatah Movement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is at war with a number of armed groups that call themselves the Muslim Youth. Fatah is demanding that the Muslim Youth hand over eight suspects believed to be responsible for assassinating one of its senior commanders. They are also demanding that the Muslim Youth vacate positions that they have set up in UN-run schools inside the camp so that the academic school year can begin. So far, the Muslim Youth is refusing to do that.”
Furthermore, a public hospital located on the outskirts of the camp was compelled to transfer all its patients to other facilities in the port city of Sidon after sustaining multiple hits from stray bullets.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, engaged in discussions with President Abbas in an attempt to mediate and put an end to the ongoing violence. Mikati emphasized the need to cease hostilities, stressing that the situation in Ein el-Hilweh “does not serve the Palestinian cause and is harmful to the Lebanese state.”
In response to the crisis, the Lebanese army issued a statement indicating that it is taking measures, including communication with various parties, to facilitate the cessation of the clashes. It also urged people to steer clear of the areas affected by the fighting.
It’s worth noting that the Ein el-Hilweh camp had previously witnessed intense clashes at the end of July, which were triggered by the assassination of Fatah commander Mohammad “Abu Ashraf” al-Armoushi and several of his aides. Tragically, these earlier clashes resulted in the loss of 13 lives.
Ein el-Hilweh is home to approximately 80,000 residents, the majority of whom are Palestinian refugees from the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948 and their descendants. Additionally, Palestinians fleeing the conflict in neighboring Syria have sought refuge in the camp, further compounding the humanitarian challenges. Lebanon hosts approximately 12 camps accommodating Palestinian refugees across its territory.