Lebanon’s army leads disarmament push in Ain al-Hilweh and Beddaoui — will it reshape camp security?

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

With careful precision, the Lebanese army is continuing its process of receiving Palestinian weapons.

In Ain al-Hilweh, Lebanon’s largest and most complex refugee camp, the fourth phase of weapons handovers began under heavy security. Five truckloads of arms belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization were discreetly delivered to the army, with the operation kept under wraps until the final minutes. 

Away from the media, the shipments left the camp through the entrance and were transported to a nearby army barracks. The only available footage was documented by members of Fatah.

At the same time, the Lebanese army received shipments from the Beddaoui camp in the Tripoli district. Journalists were kept several meters away from the trucks, which carried weapons that had not yet been inspected by the army’s engineering regiment to ensure safety.

According to the Lebanese army, the deliveries included five truckloads from Ain al-Hilweh and three from Beddaoui, containing various types of weapons, shells and munitions. Fatah said the weapons also included an anti-aircraft system. 

Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee Chairman Ramez Dimashkieh confirmed that the process will continue in other camps, though without specific dates. Sources said efforts are underway to arrange a meeting between the committee and the Alliance factions, including Islamic Jihad and Hamas, but no agreement has yet been reached. 

The committee has already held separate meetings with some of these groups.

For now, at least publicly, Fatah appears to be the only faction engaging with the new regional dynamics, pursuing a diplomatic rather than military path. 

While awaiting the outcome of the committee’s efforts, sources said resolving the weapons issue in the camps ultimately requires granting the Lebanese army access when needed and authorizing it to take necessary measures through a Lebanese political decision.