The report at Al-Akhbar claimed that weapons were handed over in the Burj al-Shamali and Al-Bass camps.
The Lebanese Armed Forces received the first handover of weapons from representatives of Palestinians in two camps in Lebanon.
According to Beirut’s Al-Akhbar, the weapons were handed over in the Burj al-Shamali and Al-Bass Palestinian refugee camps.
This follows reports last week that some armaments were also collected at the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut. There are twelve recognized Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, most dating back to 1948.
This collecting of weapons from the Palestinian camps is a critical test case to see if Beirut can also gather munitions from Hezbollah. At the moment, the Lebanese government is trying to tell the US that it will move forward with disarming Hezbollah.
The Palestinian refugee camps are the low-hanging fruit and a test case. As such, this is a “trust but verify” moment for Beirut.
Per the emerging reports at Al-Akhbar, which is a pro-Iranian publication, the new handovers in the two camps took place near Tyre. “The weapons delivery process comes within the framework of the agreement between the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority to disarm the Palestinian camps,” the report said.
Fatah, which is the leading party within the PA, has played a key role in this process. Other Palestinian factions, such as Hamas, exist in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s full commitment to the November 27 declaration of a cessation of hostilities with Israel.
The comments came in meetings with a US delegation that included US Sen. Lindsey Graham and US envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus. Ortagus and Barrack were recently in Israel. The latter had gone to Syria and then Lebanon for the meetings.
Plans to disarm Hezbollah to end this month
Reports at the Cradle, which is critical of Israel and the US, said that American and Lebanese officials met on Tuesday, August 26, and discussed disarmament plans for Hezbollah and an economic zone in southern Lebanon.
The current model being pushed by Israel is that Hezbollah will need to disarm first, and then Israel will withdraw forces from several points along the Lebanese border. These are points Israel captured in the clashes with Hezbollah in 2024.
Al-Ain media in the UAE said that a plan to disarm Hezbollah is expected at the end of this month. However, the terrorist organization’s leader, Naim Qassem, has warned about a clash with the government if this happens.
Nevertheless, Lebanon may actually try to begin the disarmament of Hezbollah this year. Israel has appreciated the steps taken by the new government of Lebanon to do so.
In a meeting this month, the Lebanese cabinet approved the restriction of arms to the state and called on the army to develop a plan for implementing this restriction by the end of next month, to complete the mission before the end of the year, Al-Ain noted.
It now also appears more likely that the UNIFIL mandate will be extended. Lebanon’s government wants the UN’s role in that regard to continue.
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