The Lebanese army has taken possession of heavy weapons from Palestinian factions across seven refugee camps, the National News Agency reported on Monday. 

The handover followed a May 21 meeting in Beirut between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, during which both sides agreed to transfer all heavy weaponry held by the Palestinian National Security Forces.

The handover included eight truckloads of heavy arms from camps in the southern city of Tyre, five from Ain al-Hilweh near Sidon, and three each from Beddawi in the north and from Shatila and Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut. The cache contained machine guns, landmines, light artillery and short-range rockets.

Colonel Abdel Hadi al-Asadi, head of public relations for the Palestinian National Security Forces, told Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency that the Palestine Liberation Organization factions had complied with Abbas’ order to surrender all heavy weapons.

“In doing so, Palestinian legitimacy has handed its weapons to Lebanese legitimacy, after they became a burden on our people in the camps,” he said. “Our people deserve to live in dignity, with economic stability, and at least the minimum conditions of life until their return to Palestine.”

Al-Asadi added that if any additional weapons are found in PLO depots, they will also be delivered to the army.

He stressed that the weapons were originally intended to confront Israel, not to serve any role inside the camps.

“Now these weapons are under the custody of the Lebanese army and the Lebanese State, to be used only in the event of Israeli aggression,” he said.

As for arms held by other Palestinian factions, Al-Asadi said they are coordinating with the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee headed by Ambassador Ramiz Damashkiyeh, who has said the process should be completed by the end of September.

Lebanon is home to 12 Palestinian refugee camps. Nahr al-Bared is already under full state control, while four others—Dbayeh, Mar Elias, Mieh Mieh and al-Jalil—are considered civilian gatherings without heavy weaponry. The remaining seven— Shatila, Burj al-Barajneh, Beddawi, Ain al-Hilweh, al-Buss, Rashidiyeh, and Burj al-Shamali— have until now hosted armed factions and stockpiles of heavy weapons.