Islamist factions within Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, Ein el-Hilweh, have announced their commitment to a ceasefire following three days of violent clashes that claimed the lives of at least five individuals and displaced numerous families.
The conflict, which erupted on Friday, pitted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement against Islamist groups within the camp. The initial intention was to crack down on suspects accused of assassinating one of their military generals in late July.
Dr. Riad Abu Al-Einen, head of Al-Hamshari Hospital in Sidon, reported that in addition to the five fatalities, 52 individuals were injured. However, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, indicated four casualties and 60 injuries. Lebanese military sources stated that five soldiers sustained injuries after three shells landed at army checkpoints surrounding the camp, with one soldier in critical condition.
Ein el-Hilweh, housing approximately 55,000 people according to the United Nations, has long been associated with lawlessness and violence, with sporadic clashes not uncommon in the camp. The camp was established in 1948 to accommodate Palestinians displaced during the establishment of Israel.
Lebanese officials, security agencies, and the UN have all urged the warring factions to agree to a ceasefire. Elias al-Baysari, interim chief of Lebanon’s General Security agency, has committed to participating in a Monday meeting between Palestinian factions and will advocate for a resolution.
In a statement published on Sunday, the clashing factions within the camp declared their intent to abide by a ceasefire.
UNRWA reported that hundreds of displaced families have sought refuge in nearby mosques, schools, and the Sidon municipality building. Additional shelters are being established by the UN agency and local organizations, as an initiative by the municipality, the Lebanese Red Cross, and local community groups to set up tents for families was halted by Lebanon’s prime minister and interior minister.
Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics set up stations at the camp’s entrance to provide medical care to the injured and distribute food packages to displaced families.
Sixteen-year-old Sabine Al-Ahmad, who fled the camp with her family, was among the wounded. She sustained shrapnel wounds and recounted their ordeal, saying, “We were running away and a shell exploded over us.”
Dorothee Klaus, Director of UNRWA in Lebanon, highlighted that armed groups were still occupying the agency’s schools within the camp and called for an end to the violence.
Earlier this summer, the Ein el-Hilweh camp experienced several days of street battles between Fatah and members of the extremist Jund al-Sham group, resulting in 13 fatalities and numerous injuries. An uneasy truce was established on August 3, but the expectation was that clashes would resume as Islamist groups had not handed over those accused of killing the Fatah general to the Lebanese judiciary, as demanded by a committee of Palestinian factions the previous month.
Lebanon is home to a substantial population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, many of whom reside in the 12 refugee camps scattered throughout the country.