Confrontations violate ceasefire in Lebanon's Ain al-Hilweh
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The clashes have escalated in Ain al-Hilweh camp; as many as eight people sustain injuries due to stray bullets.
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Fighters of the Palestinian Fatah group take their positions during clashes with Islamist militants in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh near the southern port city of Sidon, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
The clashes in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon are escalating, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported on Wednesday, in violation of a short-lived ceasefire.
The clashes came after a Fatah and Hamas meeting in Beirut, wherein the two major players in the Palestinian Resistance movement discussed recent events in the refugee camp and reaffirmed their commitment to the decision of the Joint Palestinian Action Committee to maintain the ceasefire.
The Wednesday clashes injured at least eight people, including paramedics. All those injured were hit with stray bullets.
A meeting was held at the Palestinian Embassy in Beirut on Tuesday, with delegations from the Fatah and Hamas movements discussing the ongoing clashes in the Saida refugee camp.
The Fatah delegation was headed by Central Committee member and the supervisor of the group's activities in Lebanon, Azzam al-Ahmad, while the Hamas delegation was led by political bureau member Moussa Abu Marzouq.
A source who participated in the meeting at the Palestinian Embassy in Beirut confirmed to Al Mayadeen that the atmosphere during the meeting was positive. The discussions focused on the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Ain al-Hilweh camp.
The source provided details about the meeting, which involved two delegations representing the Fatah and Hamas movements. The Fatah delegation was led by a member of its central committee and the supervisor for Fatah's activities in Lebanon, Azzam al-Ahmad, while the Hamas delegation was headed by a member of its political bureau, Mousa Abu Marzouk.
During the meeting on Tuesday, the two movements aimed to address the ongoing developments in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp and work towards stabilizing the recent ceasefire.
Both al-Ahmad and Abu Marzouk had traveled to Beirut to monitor the situation and tensions in Ain al-Hilweh. While there, they held a series of meetings with Palestinian leaders.
As clashes raged on for the fifth day in a row in the Ain al-Hilweh camp in Saida Lebanon, at least six individuals tragically lost their lives, and numerous others have been injured, the Red Crescent reported on Monday.
This recent bout of violence erupted late Thursday, within the confines of Ain al-Hilweh camp, situated on the outskirts of Saida, a coastal city in Lebanon. It comes hot on the heels of similar clashes that had recently pitted members of the Fatah movement against Islamist militants.
Providing updates on the evolving crisis, Imad Hallak, a spokesperson representing the Palestinian Red Crescent's Lebanon branch, reported that the toll has now risen to "at least six fatalities, one of which occurred on Monday, with more than 60 individuals wounded", noting that the casualties encompass both combatants and innocent civilians.
Read more: At least five killed, others injured in renewed Ain al-Hilweh clashes
Eyewitnesses on the ground in Saida have continued to report ongoing confrontations marked by automatic gunfire and shelling, even though the intensity of the fighting had slightly waned overnight.
The Lebanese army reported on Sunday that projectiles had struck two military sites in close proximity to the camp, resulting in "five soldiers wounded, one of being in critical condition." Notably, the Lebanese military typically refrains from direct involvement in Palestinian camps, leaving the responsibility for security management to local factions.
In a statement issued via X, the Lebanese army issued a stern warning to "the relevant parties within the camp" against endangering military installations, while also affirming its intention to "take appropriate measures."
