At 12:30 PM on Wednesday, a breach of the calm that had been present in the Ain al-Hilweh camp since dawn was recorded, with sounds of gunfire and hand grenade explosions heard between the fighting factions. This prompted the Lebanese army to send large military reinforcements to the Sidon area and the vicinity of Ain al-Hilweh camp, indicating the serious level of the security explosion in the camp.
The clashes resumed in Ain al-Hilweh camp on Wednesday evening between the "Fatah" movement and radical Islamic groups. The clashes involved the use of rocket launchers and medium to heavy machine guns, with stray bullets and projectiles hitting the vicinity of the Sidon government hospital, the Arab Roundabout, the American Roundabout, and the eastern highway in Sidon.
The ceasefire was only observed for a few hours for "humanitarian reasons," allowing families trapped in the Tawari neighborhood and the northern outskirts of the camp to escape to safe areas in Sidon and the Mosleli mosque. All Lebanese-Palestinian efforts and communications to curb the ongoing clashes within the camp, which continued between Fatah fighters and radical Islamic elements, have failed, resulting in more casualties, injuries, destruction, and the displacement of civilians, particularly women and children.
The governor of the south, Mansour Daou, extended the decision to halt work in state administrations at the Serail of Sidon until Thursday due to the renewed clashes in Ain al-Hilweh camp.
At the invitation of Sidon’s Mufti Sheikh Salim Soussan, a meeting was held for political leaders in Sidon and neighboring areas, who demanded an "immediate and decisive" ceasefire, stating that after ceasing hostilities, the conflicting parties can sit and negotiate. They highlighted that while differences in viewpoints are natural, it is not acceptable for these differences to result in gunfire, bombs, and projectiles falling on homes and killing people.
They also confirmed the assignment of a committee to investigate the murder of leader "Abu Ashraf" Al-Armoushi, urging it to start its work immediately without delay or hesitation, to reveal those who committed this crime and hand them over to the judiciary and Lebanese security. Additionally, they wished for swift compensation for those unjustly affected by the destruction of their homes and injuries to their family members.
Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, commented on the events in Ain al-Hilweh, stating: "What is happening in Ain al-Hilweh camp is painful, and we call on everyone in the camp to stop fighting. Anyone who can exert pressure to stop the fighting should do so."
Last night, the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying "it is following the troubling reports of violence in a refugee camp in Lebanon," calling on "all parties in Ain al-Hilweh camp to respect civilian safety and not target civilian facilities."
