Lebanon begins Palestinian arms handover at Beirut camp
Shafaq News – Beirut
On Thursday, Lebanon oversaw the first transfer of Palestinian weapons from Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in the capital, Beirut.
Palestinian groups began stockpiling weapons in Lebanon in the 1960s, initially to fight Israel and later to secure their strongholds during the civil war. Their arsenal has remained a source of tension in postwar Lebanon, where governments have struggled to impose state authority over the camps.
Officials said the Burj al-Barajneh handover will serve as a test case, with further stages planned if consensus holds and security conditions allow.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed the handover of an initial batch to the Lebanese Army, stressing that the initiative must extend in the coming weeks to other camps, with additional batches from Burj al-Barajneh.
أرحّب بانطلاق عملية تسليم السلاح الفلسطيني التي بدأت اليوم في مخيم برج البراجنة في بيروت، حيث جرى تسليم دفعة اولى من السلاح ووضعها في عهدة الجيش اللبناني، على ان تستكمل هذه العملية بتسليم دفعات اخرى في الأسابيع المقبلة من مخيم برج البراجنة وباقي المخيمات. pic.twitter.com/ykTRaUelj1
— Nawaf Salam نواف سلام (@nawafsalam) August 21, 2025
United States Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack welcomed the move, hailing it as “a historic step toward unity and stability,” crediting the Lebanese Council of Ministers for taking the lead.
The initiative comes after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed a phased disarmament framework, paving the way for the first tangible steps on the ground. However, several groups denied agreeing to full disarmament, arguing that arms remain vital for defense and for maintaining order inside camps until the refugee issue is resolved.
The matter continues to split Lebanese politics as well: some demand complete disarmament under state sovereignty, while others tolerate the weapons as part of the country’s fragile power balance.
