General

Cautious Calm Settles Over Ein El-Hilweh Camp Southern Lebanon

A complete calm returned has returned to the Ein El-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, more than fifteen hours after the ceasefire agreement entered into force.

Although the security situation indicated a state of cautious calm, it included gunfire from vehicles and the dropping of a bomb at dawn, but calmness soon returned to all parts of the camp.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the toll of the recent battles in Ein El-Hilweh camp since its outbreak reached 17 dead and more than 150 wounded.

It is expected that normal movement will return in the city of Sidon, which includes the camp, after its official administration and markets stopped working five days ago due to security strikes.

It is noteworthy that the efforts made by Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri succeeded in stopping the clashes in Ein El-Hilweh camp and reaching a ceasefire agreement, starting at 6 pm yesterday, Thursday.

These developments come after a lull that lasted about a month, following armed clashes at the end of last July, which then led to the death of 14 people and caused serious damage to property and infrastructure inside, in addition to the displacement of dozens of families.

The number of Palestinian refugees in Ein El-Hilweh camp is estimated at about 300,000 refugees.

The Lebanese army or security forces do not enter the camps according to previous implicit agreements, leaving the task of maintaining security there to the Palestinians themselves, while the Lebanese army imposes strict measures around them

Source: Qatar News Agency