Beirut, May 22 (Xinhua) - Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed on Thursday to end the presence and operation of weapons held by Palestinian factions outside the control of the Lebanese state, including within Palestinian refugee camps.
The meeting between the two leaders, followed by an expanded security meeting between Lebanese and Palestinian delegations, focused on ongoing efforts to reinforce stability and security in Lebanon and to ensure respect for Lebanese state sovereignty over all its territory, including the refugee camps, said a statement issued by Lebanon's official National News Agency.
The statement noted that both leaders affirmed that Palestinians in Lebanon are considered guests and are committed to the decisions of the Lebanese state, while also reaffirming rejection of permanent settlement and commitment to the right of return.
Salam and Abbas agreed to form a joint executive committee to oversee the implementation of these understandings.
The Salam government had already committed to limiting arms possession in Lebanon to the state alone. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Supreme Defense Council had recently warned Hamas against engaging in actions that compromise national security.
It came after investigations revealed that Hamas operatives violated the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel by launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel on March 22 and 28. Following these incidents, the Lebanese army announced it had received from Hamas three Palestinians suspected of involvement in the rocket attacks.
As of Dec. 31, 2023, around 493,201 Palestinian refugees were registered with the United Nations in Lebanon, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. A 2017 joint Lebanese-Palestinian census estimated the number of Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon at approximately 174,422, residing in 12 camps and 156 gatherings across the country.
Salam and Abbas also stressed the need to end the Israeli offensive on Gaza and reject the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land.
Abbas arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday on a three-day official visit -- his first to Beirut since 2017. ■
