Lebanon advances state arms control with new Palestinian camp handover

BEIRUT –

The Lebanese army has taken custody of a fifth batch of heavy weapons from the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon, marking further progress in a state-backed effort to bring all arms under national authority.

The latest handover was carried out by the Palestinian National Security Forces and included a rocket launcher platform fitted with surface-to-surface rockets, heavy and medium machine guns, as well as ammunition. The weapons were transported in four trucks, according to officials overseeing the process.

Abdel Hadi al-Asadi, a spokesman for the Palestinian National Security Forces in Lebanon, said the transfer was conducted in line with a joint declaration issued in May by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. He said the move also reflected the work of a joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee tasked with improving security and living conditions inside the camps.

Asadi described the handover as a demonstration of mutual commitment to stability and security, and to safeguarding relations between the Palestinian refugee community and the Lebanese state.

The latest transfer follows earlier handovers from Ain al-Hilweh and the Beddawi camp in September, as well as weapons surrendered from several other Palestinian camps in August. Lebanese authorities say the process is intended to address the long-standing issue of arms held outside state control, particularly within refugee camps that have historically operated under informal security arrangements.

In August, the Lebanese government formally decided to restrict all weapons to state institutions and instructed the army to draft a comprehensive plan to implement the policy by the end of 2025. The decision includes weapons held by all non-state actors, though it has met resistance from Hezbollah, which has rejected disarmament until Israel withdraws from five disputed border outposts in southern Lebanon.

Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have long remained outside the direct authority of the Lebanese security forces, a situation rooted in the 1969 Cairo Agreement. While the army does not enter the camps, it maintains tight security cordons around them.

Lebanon hosts nearly half a million Palestinian refugees, most of whom live in difficult economic and social conditions. More than half reside in 12 camps officially recognised by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

Officials involved in the handover say the gradual transfer of weapons reflects cautious but tangible progress towards restoring state authority, even as broader political and security challenges continue to complicate Lebanon’s efforts to stabilise the country.