Lebanon: Palestinian Investigations into Ain al-Hilweh Clashes Conclude

A member of the "Fatah" movement in Ain al-Hilweh camp during the clashes last July (AP)
A member of the "Fatah" movement in Ain al-Hilweh camp during the clashes last July (AP)
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Lebanon: Palestinian Investigations into Ain al-Hilweh Clashes Conclude

A member of the "Fatah" movement in Ain al-Hilweh camp during the clashes last July (AP)
A member of the "Fatah" movement in Ain al-Hilweh camp during the clashes last July (AP)

A committee that was formed at the beginning of August to investigate the recent armed incidents in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp has completed its work and submitted its report to the competent authorities.

The committee was in charge of investigating the assassination of the Palestinian National Security Commander, Major General Mohammad al-Armoushi (Abu Ashraf) and his companions, during the clashes in Ain al-Hilweh camp, in addition to the killing of Abdell-Rahman Farhood, who was known for his affiliation with extremists.

The report was submitted to the Joint Palestinian Action Committee in Lebanon, which convened on Tuesday at the Palestinian Embassy in Beirut, in the presence of representatives of the Lebanese Army Command, the Amal Movement and other forces.

An official statement issued at the end of the meeting said that an agreement was reached on the follow-up mechanisms, which would begin with handing over the suspects to the Lebanese judiciary.

Ghassan Ayoub, a member of the Palestinian Joint Action Committee in Lebanon, said that the report included the names of the perpetrators, adding that the participants agreed to support efforts to hand them over to the competent judiciary.

In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ayoub explained that a deadline has been given to the forces concerned with communicating with extremist groups to persuade them to hand over the suspects.

In parallel, an explosion was heard inside the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, located in southern Lebanon, at dawn on Wednesday, caused by a hand grenade, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

While no injuries were reported, Fatah sources inside the camp told Asharq Al-Awsat that the bomb was thrown by the extremists, “with the aim of creating tension, as they feel that they are in an impasse, and that no one is ready to provide them with political cover.”

Ain al-Hilweh witnessed six days of violent fighting between the Fatah movement and extremist Islamist groups. The round of fighting resulted in 12 deaths and more than 65 wounded. Hundreds of families have escaped the camp, while many residents still fear the renewal of clashes at any moment.



Germany Calls on its Citizens to Leave Lebanon Immediately

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in Beirut on Tuesday (dpa)
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in Beirut on Tuesday (dpa)
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Germany Calls on its Citizens to Leave Lebanon Immediately

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in Beirut on Tuesday (dpa)
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in Beirut on Tuesday (dpa)

Germany on Wednesday urged its citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible due to the risk of escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.
Tensions have been rising in recent days with growing exchanges of fire.
On Wednesday, Berlin's foreign ministry updated its travel guidance for the country, saying: “German nationals are urgently requested to leave Lebanon.”
“The current heightened tensions in the border area with Israel could escalate further at any time,” the ministry said.
There is also an “increased risk of terrorist attacks” in Lebanon, which could be directed against Western foreigners or large hotels, it said.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock cautioned on Tuesday that “miscalculation” could trigger an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, urging the need for “extreme restraint” as tensions soar.
“With every rocket across the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, the danger grows that a miscalculation could trigger a hot war,” Baerbock said on X during a visit to Beirut, referring to the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon.