Report: Settlement Reached in Beddawi to Remove Security Cordon

Political and security contacts between Palestinian and Lebanese officials were able to find a settlement to the crisis in Tripoli's al-Bedddawi Palestinian refugee camp and loosen the security cordon that was imposed by the Lebanese army days ago, As Safir daily reported on Friday.

The army was able to get a pledge to interrogate Palestinian (Sh. Khatib) about his relationship with armed terrorist groups in Syria and recruiting young men to their advantage, added the daily.

The step came to deter a dangerous situation that arose after a shooting incident at an army checkpoint in the vicinity of the camp by one of the most wanted individuals three days ago. Despite the fact that the assailant was turned in by the Palestinian factions after the incident, the step did not dispel concerns about the possibility of a “fifth column exploiting the situation to tamper with the security of the camp and drag it into a confrontation with the army.

Moreover, the army has taken strict security measures after an armed clash that occurred in Eid al-Adha in an amusement park adjacent to the camp that led to casualties, and the escape of the perpetrators. The security apparatuses were able later on to arrest those involved except for four Palestinians from inside the camp. After a series of contacts, two of them were turned in, the third was arrested while the fourth is still undergoing treatment.

However, handing the assailants was not the only requirement of the army that mainly wanted fugitive Sh. Khatib to turn himself in, which created a problematic issue inside the camp mainly after the army arrested Khatib's brother although he has no arrest warrants against him. Efforts succeeded later on to find a settlement to the file. Khatib's brother is to be released in return for turning himself in to the committee tasked to follow-up the issue with the Lebanese army.

According to available information, the army restored the situation back to normal and withdrew its troops Thursday to the positions where they were previously situated, clearing the way for closing the file once and for all by the Palestinian factions.

The Palestinian factions hailed the army's “positive” steps, said the daily, and is working to address all the files related to the security of the camp.

The leadership of the Palestinian national security in the north issued a statement stressing that it “stands by the Lebanese state institutions.”