Geagea says govt must set timeframe for disarming Palestinian camps

The government must set a timeframe not exceeding a few weeks to collect Palestinian arms inside and outside camps and become in charge of security, Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea said Thursday as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Lebanon.

Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed that Palestinian factions won't use Lebanon as a launchpad for any attacks against Israel, and to remove weapons that aren't under the authority of the Lebanese state.

Geagea praised Abbas saying he has always worked towards maintaining "healthy Lebanese-Palestinian ties".

"Abbas' statements have refuted every excuse the Axis of Resistance was hiding behind in order to continue carrying illegal weapons," Geagea said, adding that time has come for Lebanese people to have a real state with monopoly on weapons.

A joint statement by Aoun and Abbas said that both sides have agreed that weapons should only be with the Lebanese state, and the existence of "weapons outside the control of the Lebanese state has ended."

The statement said that both sides have agreed that Palestinian camps in Lebanon aren't "safe havens for extremist groups." It added that "the Palestinian side confirms its commitment of not using Lebanese territories to launch any military operations."