BEIRUT: In the wake of escalating violence that had gripped Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, Ein El Hilweh, an “immediate and lasting cease-fire” was declared following a meeting between a top Lebanese general and officials representing rival Palestinian factions. This announcement came after days of intense fighting that had resulted in several casualties and dozens wounded.
Despite the hopes pinned on the ceasefire, residents and officials within the camp reported that the fighting continued unabated mere hours after the agreement was announced. Unfortunately, this was a familiar pattern, as it marked yet another in a series of ceasefires that had failed to maintain peace for more than a brief respite before hostilities erupted once more.
The announcement regarding the ceasefire was made from Beirut by the General Security Directorate, but its effectiveness proved short-lived as gunfire and explosions persisted throughout the day within the Ein El Hilweh refugee camp. Tragically, these skirmishes claimed at least one more life and stray bullets and shells found their way into residential areas in Sidon, Lebanon’s third-largest city.
The conflict had erupted on Thursday night after a month of relative calm within the Ein El Hilweh refugee camp, situated near the port city of Sidon. The clashes primarily involved Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah group and other armed factions. This surge of violence resulted in the deaths of six individuals and left more than 50 others wounded, as reported by medical officials and state media. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, had its own count, confirming four fatalities and 60 casualties.
The origins of the hostilities can be traced back to Fatah and its allied militia factions within the camp, who sought to apprehend suspects accused of the late July killing of Fatah military general, Abu Ashraf al Armoushi. One of the prime suspects in Armoushi’s murder, Izzedine Abu Dawoud, sustained critical injuries during Monday’s clashes within the camp and was rushed to a hospital. Unfortunately, doctors declared him “clinically dead,” according to Lebanese security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Despite the declaration of the ceasefire, both Lebanese security officials and members of Fatah expressed scepticism about the prospects for a permanent end to the clashes in the immediate future. Elias Farhat, a retired Lebanese army general now specializing in military affairs, emphasized that no ceasefire could endure unless the suspects in Armoushi’s killing were handed over to Lebanese authorities for prosecution. This demand was put forth by a committee of Palestinian factions within the camp.
While some voices called for the Lebanese army to intervene, it’s important to note that Lebanese security forces generally do not enter Palestinian camps. According to Farhat, there has been “no political decision” to change this stance at present.
As the fragile ceasefire teetered on the brink of collapse, the situation in Ein El Hilweh remained precarious, leaving both residents and officials in the camp and surrounding areas deeply concerned about the prospects for peace and stability in the region.
