Voices supporting and opposing the withdrawal of Palestinian weapons from Lebanon have grown significantly since the election of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the formation of the Lebanese government.
Voices also rose to demand the withdrawal of Palestinian weapons following the Israeli aggression on Lebanon last fall, coinciding with calls to disarm illegally, restrict weapons to the Lebanese state, and implement Resolution 1701.
The official Palestinian leadership demonstrated a clear response to the official Lebanese call to withdraw weapons from within the Palestinian camps. Official Palestinian delegations even arrived in Beirut, issued supportive Palestinian statements, and set deadlines for implementing the decisions to withdraw weapons.
Suddenly, the impetus to implement the resolutions subsided, and the disarmament of Palestinian weapons was no longer a priority, without any justification from the Lebanese and Palestinian leaderships. However, what is clear is that the decision to disarmament of Palestinian weapons was linked to two fundamental issues:
- On the issue of withdrawing weapons from all parties in Lebanon, especially the weapons of the resistance in Lebanon.
- It is linked to the issue of Palestinian-Palestinian disputes and conflicts, and the caution that disarming the Palestine Liberation Organization factions will first lead to weakening the organization's influence within the camps to the benefit of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, or that disarming the factions will lead to expanding the influence of extremist Islamic forces, especially in the Ain al-Hilweh camp near the city of Sidon.
However, the official (Lebanese-Palestinian) rush to withdraw Palestinian weapons as part of the general project to extend Lebanese state sovereignty over its territory and restrict the possession of weapons has raised a wave of questions about the necessity or futility of these weapons.
No one has been able to officially and explicitly announce now what the objectives and reasons are for the presence of Palestinian weapons inside the camps in Lebanon, after the official Palestinian leadership confirmed it more than once, and the factions, especially the Palestine Liberation Organization factions, announced that these weapons are at the behest of the Lebanese state and that it is prepared to hand them over. But why have these weapons not been handed over yet, and why does the Lebanese state refuse to respond to the call of the official Palestinian leadership that it is ready to hand over the weapons?
The reconciliation that took place between the Palestinian factions and all Lebanese sects, parties and political forces confirms that there is no expected possibility of any Lebanese militia attack against the Palestinian camps, as happened in the attacks that targeted the camps since 1968, and the attacks and bombing of the camps (1973), and during the civil war (1975-1990), and the Sabra and Shatila massacres (1982), and the camps war (1985-1988).
While the security protection of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon is the responsibility of the Lebanese state, it must be emphasized that the one who bears responsibility for the suffering, oppression and displacement that the Palestinian refugees have been subjected to is, first and foremost, the Israeli occupation, which has displaced the Palestinian people from their homeland and practiced against them all acts of killing, massacres, destruction and abuse. Ensuring social, political and humanitarian protection, and removing cases of despair, frustration, poverty and destitution, is the responsibility of the international community, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Lebanese government departments.
שתף את דעתך
Palestinian weapons in Lebanon: between absurdity and security necessities