Lebanese Army to take control of Beddawi camp entrances in coming days

Beirut — Beddawi, home to around 40,000 residents after an influx of Syrian Palestinian refugees, has two main vehicle entrances and four pedestrian gates. The army plans to position checkpoints at the two main entrances, while maintaining a presence outside the camp in line with an agreement with Palestinian factions. Eighteen other entrances have already been closed for security reasons.

Hassan Ghamraoui, head of the Beddawi municipality, expressed support for the operation, saying it will “avoid any military activity inside the camp” and provide residents with a sense of reassurance.

The army’s efforts are part of a broader government plan to reassert control over weapons across Lebanon. While some Palestinian factions, including Fateh, have handed over portions of their arsenal, groups aligned with Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad have so far resisted disarmament. Of Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian camps, seven are now fully under state control.

Beddawi is among five camps still considered “problematic,” along with Chatila and Burj al-Barajneh near Beirut, Burj al-Shemali in Sour, and Ain al-Hilweh in Saida.