Ibrahim: Ain el-Hilweh Security File Must be Addressed Once and for All

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Sunday called for a drastic solution for the security situation in the restive Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh.

“It should be addressed once and for all, because it represents a security gap in the Lebanese and Palestinian entities,” Ibrahim told Radio Voice of Lebanon (93.3) when asked about the Ain el-Hilweh security file.

Commenting on the removal of Islamic State militants from the Lebanese-Syrian border following separate but simultaneous operations by the Lebanese army and Hizbullah on both sides of the frontier, Ibrahim said: “Militarily, IS’ threat has become something of the past.”

“But this does not negate the possibility of a security breach inside Lebanon,” Ibrahim added, while noting that “this has become more unlikely and can easily be exposed.”

The restive camp had witnessed a week of deadly clashes last month between the secular Fatah Movement and small Islamist groups led by the militants Bilal Badr and Bilal al-Orqoub.

By longstanding convention, the Lebanese army does not enter Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, leaving the Palestinian factions themselves to handle security.

Ain el-Hilweh -- the most densely populated Palestinian camp in Lebanon -- is home to some 61,000 Palestinians, including 6,000 who have fled the war in neighboring Syria.

Several armed factions including extremist groups have a foothold in the camp which has been plagued for years by intermittent clashes.