Hamas spokesperson in Lebanon, Jihad Taha. (Credit: News site El-Nashra)
The spokesperson for the Hamas movement in Lebanon, Jihad Taha, stated on Thursday that the Palestinian factions and forces present in the country are willing to enter into a dialogue with authorities concerning the disarmament of Palestinian camps, provided that the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue is not limited to security and military aspects only.
In a statement, Taha asserted that "the best way to address all the issues related to the Palestinian presence in Lebanon," particularly regarding Lebanon's intention to disarm the Palestinian camps, lies in a Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue that should also encompass the political, social and legal dimensions of the Palestinian refugee issue in Lebanon and their civic rights.
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have pledged to ensure that only the state holds a monopoly over arms as internal and external pressures for disarming Hezbollah intensify on the political scene, following the implementation of the cease-fire agreement on Nov. 27, 2024, which ended the war between the party and Israel. On April 17, the government held its very first session dedicated to this issue.
Regarding the demilitarization of the Palestinian camps, the Hamas spokesperson emphasized that this issue "is not new," recalling that the concerned Palestinian factions have repeatedly indicated being "open to dialogue." Taha reiterated "the necessity to establish a Lebanese-Palestinian strategy capable of reassuring the entire Lebanese people, ensuring the legitimate rights of refugees in Lebanon and assuming their duties."
Since the cease-fire, the Lebanese Army has notably reclaimed positions from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), a faction linked to the fallen Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Earlier in April, the head of the Lebanese Forces (LF), Samir Geagea, stressed the urgency of implementing U.N. Resolution 1701, highlighting that the cease-fire agreement last November required that "no weapons other than those of the Lebanese Army be present on the territory." He advocated for "the dismantling of illegal military structures, whether they belong to Hezbollah or are located in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon."
Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Lebanon, two Palestinian groups allied with Hezbollah, had taken part in the war from southern Lebanon.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
