Palestinian official says Lebanon camps to keep light weapons

The issue of Palestinian arms in Lebanon might be the “last” topic on the agenda of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to Lebanon this week, a Beirut-based Palestinian official said on Tuesday.

“This topic is new and is not the priority for the Lebanese and Palestinians,” Haitham Zuaiter, a member of the Palestinian central and national councils, told Al-Jadeed television.

“There is no proposal for removing Palestinian arms in Lebanon,” Zuaiter said, reminding that the national dialogue sessions chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri had called for “removing Palestinian arms outside the camps and controlling them inside the camps” and that “President Joseph Aoun has called for the removal of heavy-caliber arms.”

“We support bringing Palestinian arms under control inside the Palestinian camps within the framework of serious discussions and a drastic solution,” Zuaiter went on to say.

He added: “Honestly we cannot talk about the issue of Palestinian arms without resolving the Palestinian issue in the Lebanese arena in a comprehensive way.”

Warning that Israel might target Palestinian camps in Lebanon the same it has targeted refugee camps in the Palestinian territories, Zuaiter said Abbas will tell Lebanese officials that “the Lebanese Army should not enter the Palestinian camps by force.”

“Palestinian security forces are in charge of security inside the camps and would coordinate with Lebanese authorities,” the Palestinian officials added, noting that “arms must be under the authority of the Lebanese state.”

“What’s needed is to prevent a repetition of the (1982) Sabra and Shatila massacre and had there been light weapons (in the hands of the Palestinians at the time), this massacre would not have happened,” Zuaiter added.