Update:: Announcement of the commencement of the delivery of weapons from Palestinian camps in Lebanon and factions deny

SadaNews - Ramzi Damascusiyah, head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, stated that the first phase of delivering weapons inside the Palestinian camps in Lebanon began on Thursday from the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut, with the first batch of weapons being handed over to the Lebanese Army.

Damascusiyah added in a statement published by the Lebanese Prime Minister's office that this delivery process represents the first step, which will be followed by additional batches in the coming weeks in Burj al-Barajneh and other camps.

This move comes in implementation of the decisions made during the Lebanese-Palestinian summit held last May between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which affirmed Lebanon's sovereignty over its entire territory and the application of the principle of exclusivity of weapons, according to the statement.

The Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee also agreed in a meeting held in May to establish an executive mechanism and a timeline for addressing the issue of Palestinian weapons in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the official spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, stated that the State of Palestine announces that an agreement has been reached with the Lebanese state to begin delivering the weapons present in the Palestinian camps to the Lebanese Army as a custody arrangement.

Abu Rudeineh added in a statement that the relevant Palestinian authorities delivered the first batch of weapons from the Burj al-Barajneh and al-Bass camps to the Lebanese Army today, Thursday, with plans to continue the delivery operations to the remaining camps sequentially.

The official spokesperson explained that this came based on the presidential statement issued by President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun on May 21 of last year, following their official talks held in the capital Beirut, where President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed the depth of Palestinian-Lebanese fraternal relations, enhancing cooperation and coordination between the two countries and their peoples, and supporting the Palestinian people’s right to establish their free and independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with its capital in Jerusalem, according to international legitimacy resolutions.

He indicated that both parties affirmed their commitment to the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes from which they were displaced, in accordance with international resolution 194, and their rejection of all resettlement and displacement projects.

Abu Rudeineh stated that both parties agreed to form a joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee to follow up on the conditions of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon and to work on improving the living and humanitarian conditions for refugees, while respecting Lebanese sovereignty and adhering to Lebanese laws.

He pointed out that both sides emphasized their commitment to providing the human, social, and economic rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, ensuring them a decent life without affecting their right of return or impacting their national identity.

Abu Rudeineh affirmed that both parties reiterated their commitment to the principle of exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the Lebanese state over its entire territory, and to ending any violations of that, stressing the importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

The official spokesperson stated that both presidents emphasized the importance of maintaining security and safety for our people in the camps, aiming for a stable security situation in full coordination between the relevant authorities in the Lebanese Republic and the State of Palestine.

Later, a statement from the Palestinian factions claimed that this news is completely unfounded and disconnected from reality.

They added in their statement: What is happening inside the Burj al-Barajneh camp is an internal organizational matter related to the "Fatah" movement and has no connection whatsoever to the issue of Palestinian weapons in the camps.

They reaffirmed their constant concern for the security and stability of our camps and their surroundings, renewing their commitment to fully adhere to Lebanese laws and respect the sovereignty of the state and its institutions, while seeking to enhance fraternal relations between our Palestinian people and our brothers in Lebanon, according to their statement.

They affirmed that "our weapon will remain only linked to the right of return and the just Palestinian cause, and it will remain as long as the occupation is imposed on the land of Palestine, and it will only be used within the framework of confronting the Zionist enemy until our people achieve their right to return, freedom, and establish their independent state on their land."