On Wednesday, militants belonging to the banned extremist organization Jund al-Sham violated the ceasefire agreement in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon. The information was relayed by Maher Shbeita, the secretary of the Palestinian Fatah movement, during a press briefing in Beirut.
According to Shbeita, the extremists targeted Fatah positions in the Bustan al-Quds area, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to four others. In response, Fatah units returned fire to protect the peaceful neighborhoods under their control. The enemy launched attacks from three sides, with several shells hitting the Mustashfa al-Hukumi hospital building, fortunately, with no reported casualties. Despite the provocations, the Fatah command remains committed to honoring the truce that was reached.
Earlier, on August 2, Palestinian Joint Forces commander Colonel Munir Al-Maqdah announced the implementation of the ceasefire in Ain al-Hilweh camp after four days of clashes between Fatah and Jund al-Sham. As part of the agreement, armed fighters were to be withdrawn from residential areas, and an investigation into the assassination of Fatah security chief Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi, which occurred on July 30, was to be conducted.
The recent street shootings in the Palestinian refugee camp have resulted in the death of 11 people and left 60 others wounded. Over 2,000 residents were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in safer neighborhoods in Sidon, near Ain al-Hilweh.
Notably, clashes have occurred in this camp before, as it provides shelter to members of various extremist groups. Similar confrontations took place in March and May. Additionally, in 2013, the Lebanese army quelled an armed rebellion in Sidon led by radical preacher Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, with several dozen of his supporters seeking refuge in Ain al-Hilweh.
Lebanon hosts a total of 12 Palestinian camps, each enjoying internal autonomy, and the country's refugee population is estimated at 450,000.
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Photo: IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS