Thick smoke continues to rise from the Ain al-Hilweh camp amid clashes that resulted in around six deaths and over thirty injuries today, Sunday. While efforts for calm are ongoing, a statement from the Palestinian Joint Action Committee was issued after a meeting attended by a delegation from the Amal Movement and representatives from Hezbollah and Sheikh Maher Hamoud. The statement called for an "immediate ceasefire in Ain al-Hilweh camp and for all parties to withdraw militants from the streets and stabilize the situation within the camp. Additionally, it called for the formation of a Palestinian investigation committee under the supervision of the Palestinian Joint Action Committee to uncover the truth surrounding the assassination of Brigadier Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi and his companions, and to hand over the perpetrators to the relevant security authorities."
Regarding the unstable situation in the city due to the ongoing clashes in Ain al-Hilweh, South Governor Mansour Daou announced in a statement that "official administrations in Saida will suspend operations tomorrow, Monday." Reports indicate that efforts to restore calm have so far failed, with Sheikh Maher Hamoud clarifying that "one party in the camp is refusing to cease fire until retribution is claimed for al-Armoushi and his companions."
The camp is witnessing a high intensity of clashes, which have escalated to target a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the Tammir area, with sniper fire and "RPG" shells reaching areas of eastern Saida, specifically the Nabih Berri Avenue. There has been a movement of families fleeing the camp towards al-Mousilli Mosque in Tammir, fearing that the gunfire will not cease. Governor Mansour Daou also announced in a statement that "official administrations in Saida will suspend operations tomorrow, Monday, due to the continuation of clashes in Ain al-Hilweh."
A considerable force from the Rangers Battalion reached the vicinity of Ain al-Hilweh camp. An explosion of a shell over Abu Marri Clinic in al-Hilaliyeh shattered the glass in the building, causing panic among the residents. Notably, the clashes today targeted three mosques: "the Martyrs Mosque in the Safsaf neighborhood, Zain al-Abidin Mosque in the al-Tawari neighborhood, and Hittin Mosque in the Hittin neighborhood."
The Lebanese Army warned today that it is prepared to respond in kind to gunfire directed at nearby military positions, as stated in a statement from the army's command. Clashes reignited inside Ain al-Hilweh camp today and extended into new neighborhoods, intensifying shelling and exchanging gunfire between National Security forces and Islamic groups, spilling over to the Harab Mountain-Hittin neighborhood axis. A shell fell on Darb al-Sim, bringing the total casualties from the clashes to dead and wounded, along with material damage in the commercial markets adjacent to the camp in Saida.
The National News Agency reported that a shell from the camp landed near al-Hamshari Hospital in Saida, resulting in injuries, while the Jazin Government Hospital announced it would start receiving patients from the government hospital in Saida, which had also been affected by the clashes. Mortar shells fell indiscriminately on houses in the Tammir neighborhood. Due to the intensified shelling, UNRWA suspended all its services in Ain al-Hilweh camp for tomorrow. Additionally, Saida's summer schools announced the suspension of classes due to security conditions.
In his comments on the events, Prime Minister Najib Mikati deemed the timing suspicious and stated that "the clashes cement existing perceptions of Ain al-Hilweh camp as a hub outside of state control, which is unacceptable." In light of the developments in the city of Saida and Ain al-Hilweh camp, former MP Bahia Hariri confirmed to "Warda" that she is making contacts with Palestinian and Islamic forces in the camp to stop the fighting and work towards restoring calm and conducting necessary investigations to determine the truth of what happened. She expressed hope for a swift return to stability in the city of Saida and Ain al-Hilweh camp.
Meanwhile, MP Abdul Rahman al-Bazri stated in a conversation with "Warda" that the clashes "are continuing as they are, and the situation remains tense," noting that "all political parties in Saida and its vicinity are intervening between the two parties to initiate negotiations." Al-Bazri noted that "the government hospital in Saida came under gunfire during the clashes, which led to patients being evacuated." He added, "I contacted the army commander to follow up on the evacuation of patients from the hospital."
The clashes in Ain al-Hilweh camp between members of the Fatah Movement and Islamist activists in the Safsaf and al-Baraksat areas of the upper street resulted in the death of Brigadier Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi from the Fatah Movement. Reports indicated that three of his companions were injured in an armed ambush in the al-Bassatine neighborhood, with the total casualties from today's clashes rising to 14 injuries.
Stray bullets hit shops and homes in Saida, particularly in the al-Sabbagh and al-Barad neighborhoods and near a commercial mall at the Eliya intersection, while a shell fell in the Martyrs Square in Saida. Footage documenting the moment of the assassination of the Palestinian National Security Forces commander, and a leader of the Fatah Movement, Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi, along with a group of his companions in Ain al-Hilweh camp, circulates on social media.
Residents of Saida were urged to exercise caution and avoid wandering in the areas surrounding the camp due to falling stray bullets, while the echoes of shell explosions could be heard throughout the city due to the ongoing clashes in the camp. Traffic was blocked on the Eastern Highway and the Ghaziyeh Highway due to the clashes.
On the response front, the "Joint Palestinian Action Committee" of national and Islamic forces in the Saida area convened an emergency meeting at the al-Nour Mosque in Ain al-Hilweh camp following the events that transpired yesterday, which led to gunfire from Muhammad Ali Zbeidat, known as "the Somali," resulting in the death of young Abd al-Farhoud and injuries to several, including two children. The "Committee" concluded to "condemn the heinous crime and work towards a ceasefire to prevent further bloodshed and to avoid displacing our people from the camp, and to hand the murderer over to the Lebanese judiciary." It extended condolences to the family of the deceased and wished a swift recovery to the injured, declaring its meetings open to address the aftermath of the incident.
The Lebanese Army stated via its official Twitter account: "Clashes are ongoing in Ain al-Hilweh camp, resulting in a mortar shell landing inside one of the military centers, causing injuries to one soldier with shrapnel, and his condition is stable."
In a call to the fighting parties in Ain al-Hilweh, the Mufti of Saida and its districts, Sheikh Salim Soussan, urged them to "immediately initiate a ceasefire." He expressed, "In these difficult days, with the clashes in Ain al-Hilweh and the resulting casualties and injuries from this meaningless conflict, which only endangers the security and stability of the camp and its surroundings, distracting from the main issue, the Palestinian cause, at a time when the Israeli enemy escalates its attacks on our Palestinian brothers in the camps inside, in Jenin and elsewhere, and storms Al-Aqsa Mosque, I find it hard to see that within the camp, our Palestinian brothers are clashing, and bullets and shells reach the heart of the city of Saida. I ask, for whose benefit and for what purpose is this fighting? I may disagree with you in opinion, but the cause is fundamental, and disagreements should not lead to killing, destruction, and shelling."
He added: "Let the gunfire and shells stop immediately, and thereafter each one should bear the responsibility for what they have done."
The "Ansar Brigade" clarified in a statement regarding social media claims that it was involved in the clashes, expressing its regret for what has occurred in the camp, the resulting casualties, and the terrorizing of people. The brigade emphasized that it did not partake in the ongoing clashes, and it has been working since the onset of the incidents to stop the fighting and calm the situation in the camp through communications with Lebanese and Palestinian officials.
It reiterated its commitment to the security and stability of the camp and its environs, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the opportunity for dialogue and communication to return matters to what they were.
Witnesses noted that some shops closed their doors today, and some fled the camp as hostilities escalated between the conflicting groups. Approximately 400,000 refugees live in 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon, tracing back to the 1948 war between Israel and Arab states. These camps exist largely outside the control of Lebanese security forces.
UNRWA announced the suspension of all operations in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, providing essential services to around 50,000 residents. The director of UNRWA affairs in Lebanon, Dorothy Klaus, stated in a message on the platform X (formerly Twitter) that the agency "calls on all armed parties to ensure the safety of civilians and the sanctity of UN buildings," adding that the clashes have harmed two of UNRWA's schools.
