Trouble Brewing at Lebanon’s Ain al-Hilweh Refugee Camp
Palestinian figures have urged Lebanon to be cautious in dealing with fugitive militant Abdel-Rahman Awad. Awad is thought to be hiding in Ain al-Hilweh, on the outskirts of Sidon, Lebanon. A PLO official in Lebanon and a Fatah official warned against actions that may “destabilize the volatile camp.”
Awad is a senior member of the radical group Fatah al-Islam, which has been accused of attacks against Lebanese soldiers, in addition to a suicide bombing in Syria. In 2007, Fatah al-Islam was involved in a showdown with Lebanese security forces at Nahr al-Bared refugee camp that left more than 400 people dead. Officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of this situation, which resulted in the evacuation of the camp and the destabilization of the local economy. Said PLO official Abbas Zaki, “All the meetings that have taken place regarding the security situation in Ain al-Hilweh are aimed at avoiding a repetition of Nahr al-Bared”
Those familiar with the al-Hilweh Camp say military operations by Lebanese forces would be “unthinkable ” due to its size and layout, but with the 2007 debacle looming large in the rear view mirror, those in charge don’t want to take any chances
Gavin Yerxa
