Palestinian factions hand over weapons from Beirut camps

Palestinian factions in several Beirut refugee camps surrendered their weapons to the Lebanese Army on Friday, an official said, as the government disarms non-state groups.

Ramez Dimashkieh, chairman of the official Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, told AFP that "the Palestine Liberation Organization handed over three truckloads of weapons to the Lebanese Army," including rockets and heavy weapons.

One truckload came from the Mar Elias camp and Shatila camps, and two from the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut and its suburbs, he said, adding that "this completes the process of handing over" PLO weapons from the Beirut camps.

At the entrance to the Burj al-Barajneh camp, AFP correspondents saw large wooden crates being moved to a nearby parking lot where soldiers inspected them before transporting them away, as troops deployed heavily to the area.

The official National News Agency had earlier reported the arrival of army vehicles in the camp "to receive a new batch of Palestinian weapons."

During a visit to Beirut in May, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed that weapons in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps would be handed over to the Lebanese authorities.

The implementation of the deal began last week as Abbas' Fatah movement surrendered weapons in Burj al-Barajneh camp.

Abbas' Fatah is the most prominent PLO faction. Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are allied to Lebanon's Hezbollah, are not part of the organization.

Dimashkieh said Friday that "there are still other factions that have not surrendered their weapons but the process has started."

On Thursday, PLO factions handed over heavy weapons in south Lebanon's Rashidieh, Al-Bass and Burj al-Shemali camps, the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee said.

The move to collect the Palestinian factions' weapons comes as the Lebanese Army draws up a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year.

The plan, which is to be presented to the cabinet by the end of the month, was commissioned by the government under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli military action.

During a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that largely ended with a November ceasefire, Palestinian groups including Hamas claimed rocket fire towards Israel.

By longstanding convention, the Lebanese Army stays out of the Palestinian camps and leaves Palestinian factions to handle security.