PA President Abbas to discuss disarmament of Palestinian terror groups during first Lebanon visit in 8 years

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is set to visit Lebanon for the first time in eight years on Wednesday, with the discussions expected to focus on the peaceful disarmament of Palestinian terror groups and militias in Lebanon.

While the question of bringing weapons under state control has largely focused on Hezbollah, Palestinian militias are another challenge for the new government.

There are over a dozen Palestinian “refugee” camps in Lebanon, with internal security largely being handled by the dominant faction in each camp, mostly either Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah, or Abbas’ Fatah party.

The camps are havens for outlaws and Islamist extremists, and in the past, large-scale violence has erupted over the control of these camps, as seen in the Ain al-Hilweh camp in the summer of 2023.

In addition to the internal challenge to state control in Lebanon, the armed militias pose a threat to Israel. Several of these groups, most prominently Hamas, took part in the fighting against Israel during the current war.

Since the ceasefire began last November, there were several incidents of rocket fire against Israel, with Hezbollah denying responsibility. Earlier this month, Lebanese media reported that Hamas handed over to Lebanese authorities three Palestinians suspected of launching rockets at Israel in March – two of them being handed over in Palestinian camps.

In addition, Lebanese reports said the army confiscated some 800 rockets from the Al-Beddawi camp in northern Lebanon earlier this month.

Abbas’ visit comes amid an ongoing push by new President Joseph Aoun to concentrate all the weapons under state control and disarm all militias, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the other Palestinian groups.

“What’s important is the handover of heavy- and medium-caliber weapons, whereas light-caliber weapons are cultural for the Lebanese,” Aoun said in an interview with Sky News Arabia.

He added, “We must also pay attention to weapons held by Palestinians, not just by Lebanese or Hezbollah.”

Abbas’ visit coincides with a “new era in Lebanon, marked by Arab and American support,” said Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), who will accompany Abbas.

“The issue of Palestinian arms in the camps will be part of the discussions between President Abbas and Lebanese authorities”, he confirmed.

A Lebanese security source told the Emirati news outlet The National, “We think these meetings will turn into a plan with the Palestinian factions to allow the army to enter the camps.”

“Yesterday there were clashes inside Shatila and we can't even enter. We should be able to enter,” he lamented.

“We try not to interfere by taking the weapons by force. We would prefer to reach an agreement through negotiations and discussions,” the source added.

Another topic of discussion will be the expansion of rights for the several hundred thousand Palestinians living in Lebanon, said Serhan Serhan, deputy secretary of Fatah in Lebanon.

They do not have the right to apply for Lebanese citizenship despite living there for decades, thus not being able to enjoy state benefits like health care and education, while also facing job restrictions.

However, Palestinian sources told the Asharq Al-Awsat news outlet that the involvement of the PA in the disarmament process has caused backlash among the other factions, and that negotiations with Islamist jihadist groups in several camps were stuck.

“They see any disarmament initiative without a comprehensive political settlement as an attempt to weaken and marginalize them by force,” the sources said.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the main rivals of Abbas’ Fatah, have not yet commented on the planned disarmament and are expected to oppose it.