Clashes erupt at Beirut refugee camp amid Palestinian disarmament effort

Violent clashes erupted Wednesday evening at the Burj al‑Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, with bursts of gunfire reported to echo throughout the Lebanese capital amid internal Palestinian factional disputes.

Clashes erupt at the Burj al‑Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut

According to Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, the clashes involved machine guns, rocket‑propelled grenades and bombs. Residents appealed to the Lebanese army to intervene. Lebanese broadcaster LBCI reported that Palestinian forces and army intelligence units are attempting to quell the violence, while another Saudi channel, Al Hadath, quoted a military source saying the army is reinforcing access points to prevent escalation. Lebanese media also reported one injury from an explosive device detonated near the road leading to Beirut’s airport, apparently fired from within the camp.

The first phase of weapon handover at Burj al‑Barajneh occurred on August 21, followed by a second round last Friday. The Lebanese army released images of the surrendered arms, stating that they were received “in coordination with Palestinian authorities” and will be examined by military units. Burj al‑Barajneh, one of 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon, was intended to be the initial site in a broader disarmament plan extending to other camps.

Arms surrendered by Palestinian factions at the Burj al‑Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, last week

Many observers had already considered the handovers largely symbolic. The unrest Wednesday adds weight to that skepticism. A Lebanese social media user cynically remarked, “It’s not weapons, it’s fireworks — they won’t turn them in.” Another expressed concern the fighting might spread to other camps.

Lebanon hosts an estimated 280,000–520,000 Palestinian refugees, though only about 230,000 are registered with UNRWA, the United Nations agency providing services in the 12 camps—among them Ain al‑Hilweh, Mar Elias, Rashidiyah and Nahr al‑Bared—where inadequate education, healthcare and poor humanitarian conditions prevail. A major challenge for the Lebanese state remains the substantial stockpiles held by Palestinian factions inside the camps, operating with significant autonomy.

Palestinian gumen surrendering their weapons at the Burj al‑Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, last week

(Photo: Anwar AMRO / AFP)

The camps are home to various armed groups, including Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the splinter Popular Front – General Command, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and smaller factions, some reportedly linked to al‑Qaeda. These groups maintain shifting alliances and rivalries.

The new Lebanese government led by President Joseph Aoun is seeking to centralize arms under state control, starting with disarming the Palestinian camps before tackling Hezbollah’s vast arsenal. Despite the symbolic “small victories” represented by the Palestinian camps’ partial disarmament, the recent clashes underscore the complexity of the task. Even after the first handover phase, several Palestinian factions refused to participate, asserting their weapons remain tied to the right of return and Palestinian national struggle.

In a statement, Fatah declared: “What is happening inside Burj al‑Barajneh is an internal organizational matter of Fatah with no connection to the broader question of Palestinian arms in the camps. Our weapons have been and will remain linked to the right of return and the Palestinian cause, and will continue to be used only in confrontation with the Zionist enemy, until our people achieve their rights to return, freedom and statehood.”