Tensions over Refugee Crisis Boil over into Clash between Lebanese, Syrians

In this photo released on Aug. 9, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, the Lebanese Army lines up a group of Syrians accused of illegally crossing into Lebanon from Syria by way of smugglers in the town of Shadra, northern Lebanon's Akkar province. (Lebanese Army Website via AP)
In this photo released on Aug. 9, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, the Lebanese Army lines up a group of Syrians accused of illegally crossing into Lebanon from Syria by way of smugglers in the town of Shadra, northern Lebanon's Akkar province. (Lebanese Army Website via AP)
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Tensions over Refugee Crisis Boil over into Clash between Lebanese, Syrians

In this photo released on Aug. 9, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, the Lebanese Army lines up a group of Syrians accused of illegally crossing into Lebanon from Syria by way of smugglers in the town of Shadra, northern Lebanon's Akkar province. (Lebanese Army Website via AP)
In this photo released on Aug. 9, 2023, by the Lebanese Army official website, the Lebanese Army lines up a group of Syrians accused of illegally crossing into Lebanon from Syria by way of smugglers in the town of Shadra, northern Lebanon's Akkar province. (Lebanese Army Website via AP)

The tensions over the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon boiled over on Thursday into a clash between Lebanese and Syrians in the Mount Lebanon and northern regions.

Security forces and the army were quick to contain the clashes to prevent the tensions from taking violent turns in the future.

Syrians have come under increasing criticism in Lebanon in wake of the new flow of refugees who are escaping the economic crisis in their homeland. Lebanon itself is languishing under its own unprecedented economic crisis that many believe is being compounded by the refugees.

Moreover, the growing number of refugees has sparked warnings by Lebanese politicians that they pose an “existential threat” to Lebanon.

The government has since taken action. On Thursday, it shut over a hundred illegal businesses run by Syrians in the eastern Bekaa region.

The Lebanese believe that the Syrians are competition against them in the job market and are a burden on state services that are already lacking since the crisis erupted four years ago. Lebanon is hosting over 2 million Syrians, including 1.5 refugees, say authorities.

On Thursday, the tensions developed into clashes between the Lebanese and Syrians.

In the Dora area in Mount Lebanon – home to 2,000 Syrian refugees and workers – a dispute broke out near the Mar Maroun church. Soon after, announcements were made on loudspeakers for the local residents to gather and demand the ouster of the refugees and Syrian workers to leave the area.

Sources from the region told Asharq Al-Awsat that the tensions in the area had been simmering since Wednesday in wake of a traffic accident between a Syrian youth and Lebanese woman.

A Lebanese man had intervened to resolve the dispute, prompting the Syrian to verbally attack him. He then called on his fellow Syrian workers in the area to the scene.

Soon after, Lebanese residents of the area gathered around a tailor factory where the Syrians work, forcing the workers to remain in their homes. An army patrol soon made the Syrians leave the building.

The sources said the tensions still persist, with the Lebanese refusing to allow the Syrians to remain in the area. There are no guarantees that such an incident will not happen again even though the army was quick to intervene and contain the situation.

In the North, media reports spoke of a dispute that had erupted in the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp between a group of Syrian youths and another comprised of Lebanese and Palestinians over insults that were traded between them. The attacks soon turned violent, leaving two people wounded.

Security fears

The army and security forces’ quick action to contain clashes does not appear to be stopping the unrest from happening.

Security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the fears will remain since the roots of the problem are still there.

The sheer number of Syrians makes it inevitable that they will interact with the Lebanese and cause more problems, noting that some of the Syrians already have criminal records, which only deepen the tensions.

From the Lebanese perspective, they feel that the Syrians are competing against them for job opportunities, and they are benefiting from state services without paying any taxes.

Incitement

The Progressive Socialist Party’s (PSP) Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc said: “Due to official negligence, populist stances and discrimination, the Syrian refugee crisis has turned into a dangerous reality.”

It called for an end to “all acts of incitement to avoid their repercussions on internal security” and an end to the “odd political exploitation of the situation” by some parties who proposed the “export of the refugees.”

In a statement, the bloc urged the government to convene “immediately” and “adopt and implement a clear policy through carrying out a comprehensive survey of Syrians in Lebanon, making the distinction between workers and refugees.”

It must determine the means of cooperation with relevant international agencies and grant the army and security forces the necessary support to carry out their duties in this regard.

“Back in 2011, the Democratic Gathering and PSP were the first to call on the state to deal with the refugees in a systematic manner and set up camps so that any repercussions would be contained in those camps alone,” it continued.

“The populists themselves, however, rejected the proposal because they believed that the camps would pave the way for the naturalization of the refugees. Now they are using the same excuse.”

“The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees must carry out its duties in full towards in the Syrian refugees and provide the necessary funding to support them equally with the Lebanese host,” it demanded.



Israel to Take More West Bank Powers and Relax Settler Land Buys

A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
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Israel to Take More West Bank Powers and Relax Settler Land Buys

A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)

Israel's security cabinet approved a series of steps on Sunday that would make it easier for settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting Israeli authorities more enforcement powers over Palestinians, Israeli media reported.

The West Bank is among the territories that the Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA).

Citing statements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, Israeli news sites Ynet and Haaretz said the measures included scrapping decades-old regulations that prevent Jewish private citizens buying land in the West Bank, The AP news reported.

They were also reported to include allowing Israeli authorities to administer some religious sites, and expand supervision and enforcement in areas under PA administration in matters of environmental hazards, water offences and damage to archaeological sites.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the new measures were dangerous, illegal and tantamount to de-facto annexation.

The Israeli ministers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The new measures come three days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet in Washington with US President Donald Trump.

Trump has ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank but his administration has not sought to curb Israel's accelerated settlement building, which the Palestinians say denies them a potential state by eating away at its territory.

Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this year, deems the establishment of any Palestinian state a security threat.

His ruling coalition includes many pro-settler members who want Israel to annex the West Bank, land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to which Israel cites biblical and historical ties.

The United Nations' highest court said in a non-binding advisory opinion in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there is illegal and should be ended as soon as possible. Israel disputes this view.


Arab League Condemns Attack on Aid Convoys in Sudan

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
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Arab League Condemns Attack on Aid Convoys in Sudan

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit strongly condemned the attack by the Rapid Support Forces on humanitarian aid convoys and relief workers in North Kordofan State, Sudan.

In a statement reported by SPA, secretary-general's spokesperson Jamal Rushdi quoted Aboul Gheit as saying the attack constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law, which prohibits the deliberate targeting of civilians and depriving them of their means of survival.

Aboul Gheit stressed the need to hold those responsible accountable, end impunity, and ensure the full protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, and relief facilities in Sudan.


Gaza's Rafah Crossing Reopens, Allowing Limited Travel as Palestinians Claim Delays, Mistreatment

Ayada Al-Sheikh is welcomed by his sister, Nisreen, upon his arrival in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after returning to Gaza following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, early Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Ayada Al-Sheikh is welcomed by his sister, Nisreen, upon his arrival in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after returning to Gaza following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, early Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Gaza's Rafah Crossing Reopens, Allowing Limited Travel as Palestinians Claim Delays, Mistreatment

Ayada Al-Sheikh is welcomed by his sister, Nisreen, upon his arrival in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after returning to Gaza following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, early Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Ayada Al-Sheikh is welcomed by his sister, Nisreen, upon his arrival in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after returning to Gaza following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, early Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A limited number of Palestinians were able to travel between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday, after Gaza's Rafah crossing reopened after a two-day closure, Egyptian state media reported.

The vital border point opened last week for the first time since 2024, one of the main requirements for the US-backed ceasefire. The crossing was closed Friday and Saturday because of confusion about reopening operations.

Egypt's Al Qahera television station said that Palestinians began crossing in both directions around noon on Sunday. Israel didn't immediately confirm the information, according to The AP news.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington this week, though the major subject of discussion will be Iran, his office said.

Over the first four days of the crossing's opening, just 36 Palestinians requiring medical care were allowed to leave for Egypt, plus 62 companions, according to UN data, after Israel retrieved the body of the last hostage held in Gaza and several American officials visited Israel to press for the opening.

Palestinian officials say nearly 20,000 people in Gaza are seeking to leave for medical care that isn't available in the territory. Those who have succeeded in crossing described delays and allegations of mistreatment by Israeli forces and other groups involved in the crossing, including an Israeli-backed Palestinian armed group, Abu Shabab.

A group of Palestinian patients and wounded gathered Sunday morning in the courtyard of a Red Crescent hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, before making their way to the Rafah crossing with Egypt for treatment abroad, family members told The Associated Press.

Amjad Abu Jedian, who was injured in the war, was scheduled to leave Gaza for medical treatment on the first day of the crossing’s reopening, but only five patients were allowed to travel that day, his mother, Raja Abu Jedian, said. Abu Jedian was shot by an Israeli sniper while he doing building work in the central Bureij refugee camp in July 2024, she said.

On Saturday, his family received a call from the World Health Organization notifying them that he is included in the group that will travel on Sunday, she said.

“We want them to take care of the patients (during their evacuation),” she said. “We want the Israeli military not to burden them.”

The Israeli defense branch that oversees the operation of the crossing didn't immediately confirm the opening.

Heading back to Gaza A group of Palestinians also arrived Sunday morning at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing to return to the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News satellite television reported.

Palestinians who returned to Gaza in the first few days of the crossing's operation described hours of delays and invasive searches by Israeli authorities and Abu Shabab. A European Union mission and Palestinian officials run the border crossing, and Israel has its screening facility some distance away.

The crossing was reopened on Feb. 2 as part of a fragile ceasefire deal to halt the Israel-Hamas war.

The Rafah crossing, an essential lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza, was the only one in the Palestinian territory not controlled by Israel before the war. Israel seized the Palestinian side of Rafah in May 2024, though traffic through the crossing was heavily restricted even before that.

Restrictions negotiated by Israeli, Egyptian, Palestinian and international officials meant that only 50 people would be allowed to return to Gaza each day and 50 medical patients — along with two companions for each — would be allowed to leave, but far fewer people have so far crossed in both directions.

A senior Hamas official, Khaled Mashaal, said the militant group is open to discuss the future of its arms as part of a “balanced approach” that includes the reconstruction of Gaza and protecting the Palestinian enclave from Israel.

Mashaal said the group has offered multiple options, including a long-term truce, as part of its ongoing negotiations with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators.

Hamas plans to agree to a number of “guarantees,” including a 10-year period of disarmament and an international peacekeeping force on the borders, “to maintain peace and prevent any clashes,” between the militants and Israel, Mashaal said at a forum in Qatar’s capital, Doha.

Israel has repeatedly demanded a complete disarmament and destruction of Hamas and its infrastructure, both military and civil.

Mashaal accused Israel of financing and arming militias, like the Abu Shabab group which operates in Israeli military-controlled areas in Gaza, “to create chaos” in the enclave.

In the forum, Mashaal was asked about Hamas’ position from US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. He didn’t offer a specific answer, but said that the group won’t accept “foreign intervention” in Palestinian affairs.

“Gaza is for the people of Gaza. Palestinians are for the people of Palestine,” he said. “We will not accept foreign rule.”