Hamas, Islamic Jihad urge immediate halt to violence in Lebanese refugee camp

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – The Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups late Wednesday urged for an immediate halt to fighting in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, state media reported.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the call by the two groups were announced during a meeting between the leader of the Islamic Jihad group Ziyad al-Nakhalah and leading Hamas member Mousa Abu Marzouk in Lebanon.

Both groups stressed that "the fighting only serves the Zionist enemy (Israel) and all suspicious projects against the Palestinian refugee camps" in Lebanon.

They urged for an immediate cease-fire in the camp and called on the Palestinian groups to bring those involved in staging the fighting into account.

The death toll from renewed clashes between Palestinian armed groups in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon has reached 15 after a week of violent clashes.

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

The total number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is estimated to be about 200,000, distributed among 12 camps, most of which are controlled by Palestinian factions.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar