The Lebanese government appears to be taking serious steps toward implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the disarmament of non-state actors, including armed Palestinian factions, as part of broader efforts to reassert State authority over all Lebanese territory. 

Nidaa Al Watan newspaper cited security sources and political officials as saying that renewed focus has turned to Palestinian refugee camps in northern Lebanon, mainly the Beddawi camp near Tripoli, where efforts are underway to dismantle weapons caches held by various factions. The majority of these groups are affiliated with the Fatah movement.

Informed sources told Nidaa Al Watan that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signaled his willingness to support Lebanese State efforts to restore sovereignty during a recent meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the emergency Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia. During the talks, Abbas reportedly expressed support for the Lebanese Army taking control of weapons held by factions operating outside the command of Fatah, and affirmed the Palestinian Authority’s backing of any Lebanese measures to enhance national sovereignty and enforce Resolution 1701.

This follows a visit last month by Palestinian intelligence chief Majed Faraj, who traveled to Beirut for high-level meetings with senior Lebanese officials, including President Aoun. The visit, according to officials, was aimed at coordinating a disarmament strategy in cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces and military intelligence.

As part of this effort, the Lebanese Army has, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, established a de facto security cordon around the Beddawi camp, closing off all secondary access routes to surrounding neighborhoods, particularly those from Rifa, Jabal Mohsen, Qobbeh, and Mankoubin. Security sources confirmed that the military’s objective is to funnel all movement in and out of the camp through a single, controlled entry point.

“The goal is to facilitate control over the area and lay the groundwork for a gradual disarmament process,” one source familiar with the plan said, noting that the effort marks a significant shift in Lebanon’s approach to long-standing arms issues in the camps.

In a parallel move, President Abbas dispatched senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad—who also serves on the PLO Executive Committee—to Beirut for direct coordination with Lebanese authorities. His visit underscores the Palestinian leadership’s endorsement of the disarmament plan and its readiness to cooperate on sensitive security matters.

A Palestinian faction leader in Beddawi told Nidaa Al Watan that with these measures, the camp has been effectively sealed in a manner similar to the Lebanese Army’s control over the nearby Nahr al-Bared camp. The official said that the Palestinian Authority had already begun a new phase of cooperation with the Lebanese government, aimed at dismantling arms and supporting Lebanese sovereignty over all its territories.