Palestinian Arms Deal to Be Implemented After Eid al-Adha

Is the Cairo agreement finally coming to an end?

By Chadi Hileneh (originally in Arabic) | English version prepared by Akhbar al-Yawm

Lebanese security sources told the "Akhbar al-Yawm" agency that the government is moving ahead with a plan to disarm Palestinian factions in the country’s refugee camps, in line with an agreement between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The decision, sources said, is final and will be formally addressed in an upcoming meeting between the Joint Palestinian Action Committee and the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee.

In connection with the plan, senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad is expected to visit Lebanon soon to unify Palestinian ranks and solidify a joint position. His visit follows a series of meetings with key Palestinian leaders in Lebanon to brief them on the latest developments in talks with the Lebanese state.

"Akhbar al-Yawm" has learned that al-Ahmad has drafted a roadmap for implementing the disarmament process. He reportedly emphasized that there are no significant disputes between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and non-PLO factions, nor within Fatah’s ranks in Lebanon.

According to the same sources, all Palestinian factions support the joint understanding between Abbas and Aoun. One of the key messages delivered during al-Ahmad's meetings was to reassure armed groups that weapons would be handed over through a coordinated process, not forcibly seized.

Implementation of the plan is expected to begin shortly after the Eid al-Adha holiday, the sources added.

The month of June is likely to serve as a key test for Lebanon’s ability to assert state authority over the sensitive issue of arms in the camps, a longstanding challenge rooted in the 1969 Cairo Agreement, which had allowed Palestinian factions to operate militarily from within Lebanese territory against Israel.