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Tuesday 20 May 2025 15:13:23
A recent directive issued to senior Fatah commanders in Palestinian refugee camps around the southern Lebanese city of Tyre appears to mark the beginning of a concerted effort to regulate, and possibly hand over, Palestinian weapons south of the Litani River.
The internal memo, obtained by Al-Modon and corroborated by multiple camp sources, was circulated to Fatah leaders in the Rashidieh, Burj al-Shemali, and al-Buss camps. It lays out a set of stringent military-related restrictions and includes strict warnings against violating the new rules.
The most notable measure explicitly prohibits carrying or displaying weapons within the camps. It also bans the wearing of military uniforms outside official Fatah premises. The directive further forbids armed guards from standing watch outside those offices, allowing only security personnel to remain inside the buildings, stationed at the entrances.
The new rules are set to take effect on June 1. The document warns that any gunfire, under any circumstances, will lead to the immediate surrender of the shooter to Lebanese authorities. In a related development, Fatah’s largest military base in Lebanon — the Yasser Arafat Camp — has been repainted and repurposed for civilian, cultural, and social use.
The selection of these camps for the initial implementation of arms regulation is seen by observers as deliberate. In addition to being located south of the Litani River, an area subject to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which prohibits the presence of unauthorized armed groups, these camps have in recent years faced accusations of hosting armed activity targeting Israel.
In late 2021, the Israeli Alma Research and Education Center published an image of the Abu Bin Ka’b Mosque in Burj al-Shemali, claiming it was a Hamas training facility. More recently, in April 2023, rockets were launched toward northern Israel from the vicinity of Qlayleh, an area adjacent to Rashidiyeh camp, which lies just 12 kilometers from the Israeli border. Reports at the time implicated Palestinian factions.
Similar incidents occurred during the ongoing war in Gaza, prompting increased scrutiny from the Israeli press, which has since portrayed Rashidiyeh as a Hamas stronghold in southern Lebanon. Several high-ranking Hamas officials residing in the camp, including Khalil al-Kharraz, Samir Fandi, and Hadi Mustafa, were assassinated by Israel, which claimed they were prominent operatives in the Qassam Brigades. In January, Israel also killed Hamas commander in Lebanon, Fathi Sharif, in a strike on al-Buss camp. In a separate operation, it targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad center in Rashidiyeh.
Beyond security concerns, internal dynamics within the camps may facilitate the arms regulation process. Fatah remains the dominant faction both militarily and numerically in the Tyre camps, giving it a practical advantage in implementing such measures. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has for years advocated for the surrender of weapons held by Palestinian groups in Lebanon.
Fatah’s strength in the region stems in part from the legacy of Sultan Abu al-Aynayn, who served as Fatah’s top official in Lebanon from 1991 to 2009. During his tenure, Rashidiyeh became a major center of influence for the faction. Today, Fatah’s manpower in the camp is estimated at more than 700 members. Burj al-Shemali hosts roughly 500, while the smaller al-Buss camp, home to an estimated 12,000 residents, has around 150 members affiliated with the group.
A further factor driving the initiative is a rare Lebanese consensus on the issue of disarming Palestinian groups in the south. Unlike in other regions, Palestinian factions in Tyre are unlikely to find political cover or exploit internal divisions in Lebanon to resist such measures. This consensus is expected to limit options previously used elsewhere, such as deploying Palestinian security forces as intermediaries between Lebanese authorities and camp residents.
Instead, Lebanese security agencies are likely to assume a more direct role in overseeing camp security, sources say.
In addition to the three main camps in question, the area south of the Litani is also home to several smaller Palestinian gatherings, including Qasmiyeh, Abu al-Aswad, Shabriha, and Jal al-Bahr, all of which may become part of future enforcement efforts.
The official website of the Kataeb Party leader
