Near the Southern port city of Sidon in Lebanon is the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, where on Sunday, at least five people were killed. The shooting in the crowded camp of Ein el-Hilweh also wounded seven people.
The fire was exchanged on Sunday between the Fatah faction of Palestine and its rival pro-Islamist groups in the camp. Among those killed were a Fatah commander Ashraf al-Armouchi and four of his comrades.
The Fatah group’s statement condemned the “abominable and cowardly crime” targeted the security and stability of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.
What do we know about the clashes?
As reported by the Associated Press news agency, fighting broke out in Ein el-Hilweh camp soon after an unknown gunman attempted to assassinate Mahmoud Khalil, a member of the armed Islamist group, but killed his aide instead. The attack
A Fatah military commander and four of his aides were shot and killed by Islamist militants as a result of the attack, which the Palestinian presidency referred to as a “heinous massacre and terrorist assassination.”
Six people were killed, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and two children were among those injured, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.
The clash included the use of assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and hand grenades. A mortar shell reportedly struck a military barracks outside of the camp, injuring one soldier, whose condition is stable, according to the Lebanese army. As fighting carried on late into the night, commandos were stationed close to the camp’s entrances.
After a meeting between the clashing Palestinian factions, a ceasefire was declared. The meeting was also joined by Lebanese Amal and Hezbollah. In an attempt to control the situation, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged the Palestinian leadership to cooperate with the army.
Constant strife for Palestinian refugees
Conflict and violence are a common reality for Palestinian refugees in Ein el-Hilweh.
According to the UN, approximately 55,000 refugees live in the camp. The camp was established following the Nakba, or the catastrophe of 1948, to provide refuge to Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces. In 2017, Palestinian factions engaged in almost a week of fierce clashes with an armed group affiliated with ISIS (ISIL).
Morning violence had ceased for many hours. However, state media reported that sniper fire continued to erupt occasionally. But following the killing of the Palestinian general and his companions, violence broke out once more.
The violence forced some residents of Sidon neighbourhoods near the camp to flee their homes. As stray bullets shattered windows, the Sidon General Hospital evacuated its staff and patients.
Two of UNRWA’s schools that teach around 2000 students were damaged amid the clash. The UNRWA has paused all its activities in Ein el-Hilweh.
Where does Lebanon stand?
Prime Minister Mikati denounced the use of Lebanon as a battleground for settling international differences at the “expense of Lebanon and the Lebanese.”
The Lebanese army, by long-standing convention, does not enter Palestinian refugee camps. As a result, the rival factions are left to themselves to handle security.
UNRWA has records for more than 450,000 Palestinians living in Lebanon. The majority endure a range of legal limitations, including employment restrictions, and frequently live in horrid conditions in one of the 12 designated refugee camps.
