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Int’l Community Criticizes Lebanon’s Failure to Form New Government

Student protesters wave national flags as they protest against the government in front of the education ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP)
Student protesters wave national flags as they protest against the government in front of the education ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP)
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Int’l Community Criticizes Lebanon’s Failure to Form New Government

Student protesters wave national flags as they protest against the government in front of the education ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP)
Student protesters wave national flags as they protest against the government in front of the education ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP)

Representatives from the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) expressed surprise on Thursday at political forces for ignoring repeated calls to refrain from impeding the formation of a new government.

One ambassador of a European country hinted that the international community would issue a negative position if the parties do not agree on a new cabinet in two weeks. However, the ambassador did not reveal the nature of such stance.

Another ambassador of a powerful state and member of the ISG, spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat of international disappointment with the ongoing stalling in the cabinet formation process.

He attributed this stance to the parties’ “underestimation of the public position that UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis conveyed to President Michel Aoun concerning the need to quickly form a government in light of the deteriorating local situation and regional instability following tension between the US and Iran.”

The envoy explained that Kubis “broke his silence” when he realized that whenever he demanded the speeding up of the formation of the cabinet, new obstacles would emerge.

This prompted him to adopt a more severe tone by saying it was "increasingly irresponsible" to keep Lebanon without a government.

The ambassador said the ISG members urge political forces to relinquish what they consider as “their shares” in the cabinet lineup because the country cannot endure additional deterioration on the financial, social and economic levels.

The members have also accused ruling powers of failing to take into consideration the demands of the popular protests.

The ambassador was reportedly informed that Kubis’ remarks were interpreted as meddling in Lebanon’s internal affairs. However, the envoy explained that the Special Coordinator represents the United Nations, which is an ISG member.

The Support Group for Lebanon was created eight years ago to support the country on the political and security levels.

Last December 19, Hassan Diab, a little-known academic and former education minister, was designated Lebanon’s premier, vowing to form a government quickly to pull the country out of its economic crisis.

Diab came to power after Saad Hariri resigned from the post on October 29, nearly two weeks into a nationwide cross-sectarian protest movement demanding the removal of a political elite seen as corrupt and incompetent.

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Palestinian Factions Begin Handing Over Weapons at Beirut Refugee Camp 

Palestinian fighters stand with their arms in the Burj al-Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 21, 2025 as the armed Palestinian groups in the camps start handing over their weapons to the Lebanese authorities following a deal reached in May. (AFP) 
Palestinian fighters stand with their arms in the Burj al-Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 21, 2025 as the armed Palestinian groups in the camps start handing over their weapons to the Lebanese authorities following a deal reached in May. (AFP) 
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Palestinian Factions Begin Handing Over Weapons at Beirut Refugee Camp 

Palestinian fighters stand with their arms in the Burj al-Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 21, 2025 as the armed Palestinian groups in the camps start handing over their weapons to the Lebanese authorities following a deal reached in May. (AFP) 
Palestinian fighters stand with their arms in the Burj al-Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 21, 2025 as the armed Palestinian groups in the camps start handing over their weapons to the Lebanese authorities following a deal reached in May. (AFP) 

Palestinian factions started handing over some of the weapons held in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut to the Lebanese army on Thursday, an initial step in implementing a plan officials announced three months earlier for removing arms from the camps.

It was a modest first step. One pickup left the camp loaded with weapons packed in bags. The butts of machine guns could be seen protruding from some of the sacks, while others contained rocket-propelled grenades.

The removal of weapons from the camps was announced in May during a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Lebanon, during which he and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that arms would be consolidated under the authority of the Lebanese government.

But not all Palestinian factions have agreed to abide by the decision.

Representatives of Hamas and the allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for Hamas sent a statement signed by “the Palestinian Factions in Lebanon” that called Thursday’s handover of weapons “an internal organizational matter within the Fatah movement” that “has no connection, near or far, to the issue of Palestinian weapons in the camps.”

It added, “Our weapons have always been and will always be linked to the right of return and the just Palestinian cause and will remain so as long as the occupation remains on Palestinian soil.”

The 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon aren’t under the control of Lebanese authorities, and rival groups have clashed inside the camps in recent years, inflicting casualties and affecting nearby areas. Palestinian groups have also periodically launched rockets across the border into Israel.

The step of removing weapons from the camps was seen as a precursor to the much more difficult step of disarming the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which last year fought a bruising war with Israel. The group has been under domestic and international pressure since then to give up its remaining arsenal, which it has so far refused to do.

Implementation of the plan for the Palestinian camps was delayed amid disagreements among and within the various Palestinian factions operating in Lebanon, which include Abbas’ Fatah movement, the rival Hamas group and a range of other groups, over the mechanism for handing over the weapons.

Ramez Dimashkieh, head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, a government body that serves as an interlocutor between Palestinian refugees and officials, said in a statement that the handover of weapons Thursday at the Burj al-Barajneh camp south of Beirut “will be the first step, with further batches to be delivered in the coming weeks from Burj al-Barajneh camp and the rest of the camps,” the statement said.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesperson for Abbas, said in a statement that weapons were also handed over Thursday at al-Bass camp in southern Lebanon and would continue in other camps in implementation of the agreement between Abbas and the Lebanese government.

US envoy Tom Barrack congratulated the Lebanese government and Fatah “for their agreement on voluntary disarmament in Beirut camps.” In a post on X, he called it “a historic step toward unity and stability, showing true commitment to peace and cooperation.”

However, the extent to which the decision would actually be implemented remained unclear. Some officials with the Palestinian factions said only “illegal” weapons would be handed over, not those belonging to organized factions. They also said personal light weapons would not be included.

Badih al-Habet, a spokesperson for Fatah in Beirut, told reporters that Aoun had acknowledged that “personal weapons are part of Arab and national culture.”

There are nearly 500,000 Palestinians registered with UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, in Lebanon. However, the actual number in the country is believed to be around 200,000, as many have emigrated but remain on the organization's roster.

They are prohibited from working in many professions, have few legal protections and can’t own property.