Lebanon Begins Disarmament in Palestinian Camps Amid Mixed Reactions
Palestinian factions have started handing over weapons from refugee camps in Lebanon, as part of a government-led initiative to dismantle the presence of armed non-state actors, according to Arab News.
Abdel Hadi Al-Asadi of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) confirmed that batches of weapons were delivered, with the Lebanese Army receiving five truckloads from the Ain Al-Hilweh camp near Sidon and three trucks from the Beddawi camp in Tripoli. The items included various weapons, shells, and ammunition.
This move follows a 2024 agreement between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to place weapons from the camps under Lebanese state control. The government aims to restore its sovereignty over all parts of its territory, including refugee camps that have often operated with partial autonomy.
The camps in question house tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees under UNRWA oversight. Disarmament is seen as a sensitive and politically loaded process, especially since some factions — like Hamas and Islamic Jihad — have not publicly committed to handing over arms at this time.
Lebanese authorities, in coordination with the PLO, launched a phased disarmament drive in August 2025, Arab News reported. The initiative follows a May agreement between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas aimed at consolidating state control over camps that have long operated semi-autonomously.
On August 21, weapons were surrendered from Burj al-Barajneh and al-Bass camps near Beirut. In mid-September, further transfers took place: five trucks from Ain al-Hilweh camp in Sidon and three trucks from Beddawi camp in Tripoli delivered arms and ammunition to Lebanese army barracks.
The effort is being coordinated by the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, which has also discussed potential reforms to improve refugee rights, including access to employment and property.
Reactions have been divided. While some residents welcomed the possibility of enhanced security, others criticized the process as largely symbolic, with only limited weapons handed over. Non-PLO factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, refused to participate, arguing that the initiative excludes their interests and involves mainly “illegal or smuggled arms.”
Observers say the disarmament is one of Lebanon’s most significant steps in decades to assert authority in the camps. However, analysts warn that unless all factions are engaged and rights reforms materialize, the effort could be undermined by mistrust and perceived selectivity.
The initiative’s success, they add, will depend on whether the Lebanese state can balance sovereignty with the legal and social protections demanded by nearly half a million Palestinian refugees.
