Fighting continues to flare in Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp

By Wassim Saif al-Din

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - Clashes between rival Palestinian groups continued to rage in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Monday, according to Lebanese media.

The violence first erupted on Thursday between the Fatah movement and armed groups in the camp after a one-month lull, leaving at least five people dead and 52 others injured.

Clashes with artillery shells and machine guns were reported in several areas in the camp, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.

The violence has forced hundreds of civilians to flee their areas in the camp, according to an Anadolu reporter.

As the clashes continue to flare, the interim chief of Lebanon’s General Security Agency Brigadier General Elias Al-Baysari, is scheduled to meet with representatives of Palestinian factions to discuss ways of ending the violence in the camp.

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 people.

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 in Ankara