In a series of significant developments this week, the Lebanese army took possession of multiple batches of weapons from Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) factions inside Lebanon’s refugee camps, marking a major milestone in a longstanding and complex disarmament process. According to Arab News, the latest handover occurred on Friday, August 29, 2025, with heavy weapons collected from the Shatila, Mar Elias, and Burj Al-Barajneh camps in Beirut. This followed a similar transfer just 24 hours earlier, when the army received light and medium weapons, B7 rockets, and medium-range surface-to-surface missiles from several camps south of the Litani River, including Tyre, Rashidieh, Burj Al-Shemali, and Al-Bass.
The weapons, loaded onto eight army trucks, were surrendered as part of a broader Lebanese government initiative to restrict all arms within the country to state control. This is a direct response to a Cabinet decision aimed at consolidating the state’s authority over armed groups and reducing the risk of internal conflict. The process, while hailed as a step forward, is far from complete. Notably, the weapons handed over so far do not include those held by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two powerful Palestinian factions that operate independently of the PLO’s authority.
“We are talking about the weapons of the PLO factions, with whom we negotiated and reached an agreement. As for the weapons of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Palestinian forces orbiting around them, the matter requires negotiations with them,” Ramez Dimashkieh, head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, told Arab News. He explained that while the PLO groups were ready to comply, talks with the other factions remain ongoing. “A dialogue took place some time ago and it was positive, but after Hezbollah’s position declaring that it would not hand over its weapons, we do not know Hamas’ stance or that of the allied forces, and we must negotiate.”
The weapons handover so far has involved six of Lebanon’s twelve Palestinian camps, including Ain Al-Hilweh, the largest and most densely populated. The process is set to continue, with future stages planned for camps in northern Lebanon, the Bekaa region, and areas north of the Litani River, as Dimashkieh outlined.
This initiative is not just about disarmament. According to The Associated Press, Dimashkieh and his committee see the effort as a possible gateway to improving the legal rights of Lebanon’s approximately 200,000 Palestinian refugees. The committee is actively working on proposed legislation, expected to be introduced by the end of 2025, that could address the longstanding restrictions faced by Palestinians in Lebanon. These include limits on employment, property ownership, and access to social services—issues that have plagued the community for decades.
The roots of the current situation stretch back to the late 1960s, when the Cairo Agreement gave legal standing to the PLO’s armed factions in Lebanon. But that arrangement was revoked in 1987, when President Amin Gemayel signed a law—later ratified by Parliament—abolishing the agreement and making all subsequent Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, illegal under Lebanese law. The current disarmament process, therefore, is not just a matter of collecting weapons; it represents an attempt to reset Lebanese-Palestinian relations on a new, more stable footing.
In a statement carried by WAFA, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the official spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, confirmed that the “relevant Palestinian authorities in Lebanon have handed over the third batch of weapons belonging to the PLO that were present in the Palestinian camps in Beirut, to be placed in the custody of the Lebanese army.” He emphasized that this step was in line with a May 21, 2025, agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Michel Aoun. The agreement established a joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee to oversee the situation in the camps and work toward improving the lives of refugees while respecting Lebanese sovereignty and laws.
“Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the humanitarian, social, and economic rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, in a manner that ensures them a dignified life without compromising their right of return or undermining their national identity,” Abu Rudeineh said. He added that both sides reiterated their commitment to keeping all weapons exclusively under the Lebanese state’s authority throughout its territory.
For the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, the process signals “a transition to a new phase of Lebanese–Palestinian relations, based on partnership and cooperation in safeguarding national stability and respecting Lebanese sovereignty.” The hope, as voiced by Dimashkieh and echoed in Lebanese media, is that this new phase will bring tangible improvements to the daily lives of refugees, many of whom have lived in legal limbo for generations.
Yet, the situation remains fragile. Not all factions are on board, and the disarmament process has not been without tension. The refusal of groups like Hezbollah to surrender their own weapons has complicated negotiations with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who may be watching closely to see how Lebanon handles its relationships with other armed actors. The broader regional context, with its overlapping conflicts and alliances, only adds to the uncertainty.
Meanwhile, violence continues to intrude on daily life in Lebanon. On the same day as the latest weapons handover, an Israeli drone strike killed Hezbollah member Ahmed Naim Maatouk in Sir El Gharbiyeh, north of the Litani River. According to Arab News, Maatouk had previously been wounded in Israeli explosions targeting pagers supplied to Hezbollah members. The ongoing Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, which frequently spills across Lebanon’s southern border, remains a source of instability and a reminder of the dangers posed by non-state armed groups.
Tragedy also struck the Lebanese army itself. On August 28, 2025, two soldiers—1st Lt. Mohammed Ismail and First Adjutant Rifaat Al-Taaimi—were killed by the explosion of an Israeli drone while inspecting it in the town of Naqoura. The Israeli army, in a statement reported by Arab News, said the drone had been targeting a Hezbollah vehicle and expressed regret for the Lebanese army casualties. “We regret the injury of Lebanese army soldiers,” the statement read, adding that an investigation had been launched into the incident, which involved ammunition that failed to explode and fell in Naqoura.
These incidents underscore the volatile environment in which the disarmament process is unfolding. The Lebanese government and its partners face a daunting task: to bring all weapons under state control, improve the rights of a marginalized refugee population, and maintain national stability in the face of regional turmoil. It’s a delicate balancing act, one that will require patience, negotiation, and the willingness of all parties to make difficult compromises.
As Lebanon moves forward with the next stages of the weapons handover, all eyes will be on whether the process can continue to build momentum—and whether it can deliver on the promise of a safer, more inclusive future for both Lebanese citizens and Palestinian refugees.