Hamas claimed on Saturday that explosions in a Palestinian “refugee camp” in southern Lebanon on Friday were caused by an electrical short-circuit in a storage area for oxygen bottles used to treat coronavirus patients, The Associated Press reports.
Later in the day however, a Lebanese security official said that it was clearly ammunition and not oxygen bottles that exploded in the camp. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, did not elaborate.
On Friday night it was reported that arms stored for Hamas exploded in the Burj Shamali camp, located in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre. According to the reports, a number of people were killed and injured in the explosions.
Hamas on Saturday described the explosions as an “incident”, adding that a fire in the refugee camp caused limited damage. In a later statement, the group said that one of its members, Hamza Chahine, was killed.
The group also said the oxygen bottles and containers of detergents stored at the camp were to be distributed as part of its aid work in the camp.
“Hamas condemns the misleading media campaign and the spread of false news that accompanied the incident,” the group said, according to AP. It added that reports about the cause of the blast and the “deaths of dozens” are baseless.
Lebanese residents who are registered as “Palestinian refugees” and their descendants who were born in that country reside in residential neighborhoods known as "refugee camps", have limited work options and are refused citizenship.
Lebanon refuses to naturalize the “Palestinian refugees” and has stressed the need to work for their return to their country of origin, which Palestinian Arabs claim is Israel.
Late last year, Lebanese authorities launched a crackdown on foreign workers, including people registered as “Palestinian refugees”.
According to the population census conducted in 2017, there are 174,422 “Palestinian refugees” residing in Lebanon in 12 "refugee camps" and in 152 residential neighborhoods throughout the country.