BEIRUT: Fatah Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad pledged Wednesday not to let Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon be turned into safe havens for terrorists.
“The ties between Lebanon and Palestine are strong and coordination is ongoing on different levels,” Ahmad, on an official visit to Lebanon, said following his meeting with the head of General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.
He considered the stability and security of the Palestinian camps to be of mutual interest for Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority, pledging not to let the camps be turned into refuges for terrorists.
Also, he reiterated that Palestinian-Lebanese relations are solid and that mutual coordination is based on full cooperation, emphasizing Palestine’s commitment to the security and stability of Lebanon.
When asked by reporters after meeting later in the day with Speaker Nabih Berri whether suspects wanted by Lebanese authorities hiding out in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp will be handed over to the Army, Ahmad said: “This was discussed and ... we have not been officially notified about the presence of certain names until yesterday.
“We are examining the issue and coordinating with the qualified Lebanese security apparatuses,” he said.
Ahmad’s visit comes at a time when the Palestinian camps in Lebanon, especially Ain al-Hilweh camp, are at the center of political, security and media attention in Lebanon after being linked to the Jan. 10 Tripoli suicide attack.
Shadi Mawlawi and Osama Mansour, two wanted militants suspected of masterminding the attack in the neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen, have been rumored to be hiding in the camp.
Ahmad’s visit to Lebanon had been planned for a later date, however, the recent developments in the north and the terror links to Ain al-Hilweh sped up the visit, Palestinian sources told The Daily Star.
The sources added that Ahmad, accompanied by Palestinian ambassador Ashraf Dabbour, will also meet with Minister of Interior Nouhad Machnouk.
It remains unknown whether Ahmad would visit Sidon or Ain al-Hilweh, however, he will be meeting Islamist factions from the camp, possibly in Beirut.
According to the sources, Ahmad’s visit is based on “an urgent request” from some Fatah leadership members due to the delicate and sensitive circumstances that have erupted in Lebanon following the recent security events in the northern, eastern, and, more recently, southern borders following the Israeli strike that targeted a Hezbollah convoy in Syria’s Golan Heights on Sunday.
This is thought to have repercussions on the Palestinian presence in Lebanon, which is expected, once again, to confirm its disassociation from the security incidents in Lebanon and in the region.
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