Lebanese caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said on Monday that the situation in the Ain Al-Hilweh “Palestinian refugee camp” in southern Lebanon has stabilized, Xinhua reports.
"The atmosphere has calmed down, and security agencies continue to exert effort to arrest the perpetrators," Mawlawi was quoted as having said at a press conference in Beirut.
The deadly clashes in recent days between Palestinian Arab factions in Ain Al-Hilweh, located near the port city of Sidon, erupted after Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party accused Islamist groups Jund al Sham and Shabab al Muslim of gunning down a Fatah military general in the camp.
As of last Monday, at least 11 people had been killed and dozens wounded in the fighting, according to UNRWA.
The clashes prompted some Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, to urge their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, while others, such as Kuwait, warned their citizens to stay away from areas of disturbance.
Mawlawi assured that "the Lebanese state does not cover any criminal or perpetrator or any organization, and political and military contacts are continuing to hand over those involved in the events of Ain Al-Hilweh camp."
The minister added that "There is no compromise on the application of the law," stressing Lebanon will not be used as a "stage for sending messages."
Last week, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Abbas to demand an end to the volatile situation in Ain Al-Hilweh, warning that the army may have to intervene to stop the fighting.
Ain Al-Hilweh is notorious for its lawlessness and violence is not uncommon. The UN says about 55,000 people live in the camp.
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.
Several years ago, Lebanese authorities launched a crackdown on foreign workers, including people registered as “Palestinian refugees”.
According to a 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.