A Fateh fighter in an alleyway of the Ain al-Hilweh camp, in August 2023. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient Today)
BEIRUT — A major family dispute erupted Monday night in the Palestinian camp of Ain al-Hilweh in Saida, marked by gunfire exchanges that left two dead and several injured, including four in critical condition who were transferred outside the camp for treatment, according to initial reports from L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South.
The dispute is reportedly linked to an inheritance issue. Sheikhs, community leaders, and influential figures in the camp intervened to try to put an end to the shooting.
The disarmament of Palestinian camps in Lebanon, initially scheduled for June 16 but delayed due to the Iran-Israel war and lack of cooperation from some factions, including Hamas, officially began on Aug. 21 in Burj al-Barajneh. The camp, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, mainly hosts PLO factions such as Fatah, which has long supported the process.
Disarmament promises to be far more complicated in Ain al-Hilweh, the largest camp in Lebanon, with fragile balances and several rival factions coexisting alongside Islamist groups on its outskirts, which only Hamas can reach.
Questioned by L'Orient Today at the launch of the disarmament, Sheikh Maher Hammoud, known for being close to Hezbollah and familiar with Ain al-Hilweh, stated that "the government's decision to proceed with disarmament is purely symbolic. It is impossible for the army to enter the Ain al-Hilweh camp. Not before a political dialogue and guarantees have been secured in advance, in any case."
Israel continues attacks on southern Lebanon, demolishes buildings in Bint Jbeil