Complete calm prevails in the fighting axes within the Ain al-Hilweh camp following the ceasefire agreement, which remains effective and resilient despite security and political challenges. More than fifteen hours after the agreement came into effect at six last Thursday evening, the security situation in the camp has been calm, interrupted around midnight by bursts of gunfire and a grenade thrown at dawn, but tranquility soon returned to the camp. The calm continued in the camp until the hours after yesterday afternoon, except for some bursts heard during the funeral of several victims who fell in the recent clashes in the Siroub cemetery.
Casualties and Injuries
Medical reports indicated that the toll from the recent battles in Ain al-Hilweh has reached 17 dead and over 150 injured. The director of al-Hamshary Hospital, Ziad Abu Ainain, stated in a statement that "the hospital received 30 bodies of victims who fell in the battles that took place in Ain al-Hilweh since July 30 until September 14, and 205 injured, 100 of whom were wounded during the last week's fighting,” noting that "this statistic pertains only to al-Hamshary Hospital and does not include numbers from other hospitals either in the camp or its surroundings." The calm security situation has renewed hope for the people of Sidon and its residents for the return of activity in their markets and official administrations, which have been halted for five days, significantly affected by the instability and security issues resulting from the serious events in Ain al-Hilweh camp.
Meeting at Osama Saad’s House
Secretary-General of the People’s Organization, MP Osama Saad, received in his home in Sidon, Musa Abu Marzouk, member of the Political Bureau and Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" abroad, at the head of a leadership delegation from the movement, in the presence of Nasif Issa, a member of the political secretariat of the organization. They discussed developments in the Ain al-Hilweh camp events. After the meeting, Saad stated: "We confirmed our unity in confronting the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people, as well as the necessity to address the repercussions of the events that occurred in Ain al-Hilweh and ensure the safety of the Palestinian people and the security of Sidon and Lebanon as a whole. This concern was expressed by our brothers in Hamas through their wise handling of these events."
He added: "We will continue to discuss and communicate with our brothers in the movement and all Palestinian factions to ensure the ceasefire in the camp, allow our Lebanese and Palestinian brothers to return to their homes, mitigate the damage, and address the damages to their houses and properties, and to evacuate schools from armed individuals so that students can return to their schools. We will also address the issue of apprehending individuals wanted by the Lebanese authorities and handing them over. All these matters should be implemented under an agreed mechanism,” emphasizing "the necessity of delivering those involved in the assassination of the commander of the Palestinian National Security Forces and one of the leaders of the Fatah Movement, Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi," confirming "our commitment to solidifying the ceasefire and prohibiting fighting, with any deviation being met with the necessary response."
For his part, Abu Marzouk stated: "We affirm to all the people of Sidon that our Palestinian people are united in resistance and patient in their plight until the day of return. We reaffirm our positions for a ceasefire, ending armed manifestations, the return of displaced people to their camp, opening schools, and addressing all inappropriate manifestations of our people. We will heal all our wounded and soothe all our pains that have affected our people, whether this martyr is from this house or from that faction; they are all martyrs of the Palestinian people, and we care for them as much as we care for ourselves. We hope to work as one hand for the future of the Palestinian people and the future of their cause of liberation and return."
Hamas and Sheikh Hamoud
The Hamas delegation also met Sheikh Maher Hamoud in his office in Sidon, where the meeting addressed various aspects of the Palestinian cause, "starting from the heroic resistance in Gaza and the West Bank and the heroics being witnessed in Palestine, reaching the bloody events in Ain al-Hilweh camp." Both parties emphasized "the necessity to stabilize security and stability in the camp and to work seriously among all Palestinian factions, in cooperation with the Lebanese authorities and security forces, to ensure the ceasefire and hand over those wanted for all denounced assassination crimes."
The delegation, for its part, confirmed "its leadership's respect for Sheikh Hamoud's historical role concerning the Palestinian cause and his supportive stance towards it."
Bazri
MP Abdul Rahman Bazri also received Abu Marzouk at the head of a leadership delegation from the movement, where they discussed recent security developments and events in Ain al-Hilweh camp. Bazri emphasized that "the recent security events have harmed the city, its residents, and the camp and its surroundings." The attendees asserted "the necessity of solidifying the ceasefire and preventing the recurrence of clashes and addressing their causes." They stressed that "Lebanon’s Palestinian-Sidon public opinion overwhelmingly rejects the return of clashes due to the severe damage they have inflicted on the city and the camp in various security, social, economic, educational, and health aspects." They noted that "Sidon, as the capital of the south and the Palestinian diaspora, and the main supporter of the Palestinian cause in Lebanon, pays a heavy price due to the security chaos in Ain al-Hilweh camp, which reflects negatively on the city and its surroundings."
Ibrahim
In addition, General Abbas Ibrahim met with a delegation from Hamas, led by Abu Marzouk, at his residence in Kotheriya al-Sayyad. A statement from Ibrahim's media office indicated that "the meeting discussed the situation in Ain al-Hilweh camp after agreeing on the ceasefire, and the Lebanese-Palestinian and Palestinian-Palestinian relations in light of recent security and military developments."
