Fatah says it’s committed to cease-fire in Lebanon’s Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp

By Naim Berjawi

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - The Fatah movement announced its commitment Tuesday to a cease-fire deal in Lebanon’s Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp following days of fighting that has left at least six people dead and 60 others wounded.

“Our members thwarted an attack in the Al-Tiri neighborhood. They’re adhering to the cease-fire deal,” the movement said in a statement.

Gunshots were heard in the camp earlier Tuesday, but calm returned later, according to an Anadolu reporter.

Meanwhile, the head of Hamas’ International Relations Office, Moussa Abu Marzouk, met with Azzam Al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, at the Palestinian Embassy in Beirut.

They discussed the latest developments in the camp.

Abu Marzouk arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday for a visit that will last several days to discuss developments in the Palestinian camps.

The fighting broke out last Thursday in the camp between members of the Fatah movement and armed groups in the camp after a one-month lull.

Established in 1948, Ein el-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon with 50,000 registered people, according to figures released by the UN, while unofficial statistics put the camp’s population at 70,000.

The total number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is estimated to be around 200,000, distributed among 12 camps, most of which are under the control of the Palestinian factions.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi