Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi chairs a Central Security Council meeting on Aug. 7, 2023 (Credit: Hossam Shabaro)
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said Monday after a Central Security Council meeting that "there is no indication that the situation in Ain al-Hilweh would get out of control and spread to other camps." Last week, clashes broke out in Ain al-Hilweh, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, and lasted six days. The fighting left at least 13 people dead and injured dozens.
At a press conference after the Council meeting, Mawlawi stated that "Lebanon is not a mailbox and we will not allow it to become an area for sending messages."
He told journalists that "there should not be any armed person in Lebanon" and that he is not "applying the agenda of any party."
"What is happening in the camps should not extend beyond them," Mawlawi stressed, adding that "any support for armed factions is unacceptable." Mawlawi acknowledged assured that the issue was "in the custody of the army."
"The army acted with wisdom and the army's leadership is aware and knows how to deal with circumstances," he said.
"Endangering Lebanese and Arabs' security is refused," Mawlawi stressed. Meanwhile, during the week-end, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates called on their citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon and to leave Lebanese territory. Qatar and Oman advised vigilance and the latter explicitly mentioned avoiding "areas of conflict."
Mawlawi added that "The Arab countries are Lebanon's friends and they care about the country's interest."
During the cabinet Monday, caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati reacted to the decisions taken by the Gulf states. "The data from the security agencies do not indicate any exceptional situation," he said. "There is unrest in Ain al-Hilweh, and I met yesterday with Palestinian forces in Lebanon and with Lebanese security officials. We agreed on a specific monitoring mechanism, which the Palestinians have adopted," he added.