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Refugees

Lebanon Launches Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions in Refugee Camps

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Lebanon's government has initiated a plan to disarm Palestinian groups in its refugee camps, beginning with the handover of weapons from Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut. The prime minister's office announced on Thursday that the weapons transfer to the Lebanese army marks the start of a wider disarmament campaign. This move follows Lebanon's commitment under a US-backed truce between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024, which restricted weapons to six state security forces.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Lebanese government has launched a plan to disarm Palestinian factions in its refugee camps, starting with the handover of weapons from Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut.
  • The decision to disarm Palestinian groups was reached in a May meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
  • The initiative aims to consolidate all arms under state authority, with the government tasking the army with producing a strategy by the end of the year.
  • Palestinian groups have maintained control inside Lebanon's 12 refugee camps for decades, which largely operate outside state jurisdiction.
  • The disarmament push also comes as Hezbollah faces what analysts describe as its greatest military challenge in decades, following Israeli strikes in 2024 that decimated much of its leadership.
  • Palestinian resistance movements grew out of displacement and political exclusion after the creation of Israel in 1948, when some 750,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes.
  • The refugee camps have long been a source of concern for Lebanese authorities, with limited opportunities and civil rights available to Palestinian refugees.
  • Fatah official confirmed that the arms handed over so far were only illegal weapons that had entered the camp within the previous day.

Statistics:

  • Since the November 27, 2024, ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued attacking Lebanon on a weekly basis.
  • There are 12 refugee camps in Lebanon where Palestinian factions have maintained control for decades.
  • Over 750,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes after the creation of Israel in 1948.
  • The Lebanese government aims to consolidate all arms under state authority by the end of the year.

Sources:

  • (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/23/lebanon-makes-plans-to-disarm-palestinian-factions-in-refugee-camps)
  • (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/10/will-lebanon-succeed-in-disarming-hezbollah)
  • (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/is-hezbollah-weakened-as-lebanon-shifts-towards-new-governance)

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