Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad A-Siniora is requesting the aid of Arab countries in disarming Palestinian refugees stationed outside of his country’s refugee camps, the Lebanese daily <I>A-Safir</I> is reporting.
A-Siniora met with ambassadors and representatives of eleven Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, on Saturday and asked them to convey his request to their governments. The prime minister provided the envoys with information regarding the recent attack on the Lebanese army by what Beirut terms the terrorist organization Fatah Intifada.
One soldier died on Wednesday during an exchange of fire between the Lebanese army and members of the pro-Syrian Fatah Intifada. The death of the soldier, Mu’stafa Moudlij, has caused outrage in Lebanon and the demands of many to disarm Palestinians based outside refugee camps has surfaced once again as a result.
Immediately following the incident, a Fatah Intifada representative – Abu Fadi Hamad – contacted A-Siniora and offered to conduct a joint investigation with the Lebanese authorities. A-Siniora rejected the proposal, saying the inquiry is in the hands of the Justice Department.
Lebanon is home to more than 400,000 Palestinian refugees, almost all of them live in refugee camps and are denied citizenship. Palestinian refugees in neighboring Syria often enter Lebanon to clash with the Lebanese army, and to perpetrate terror attacks against Israel, according to The Media Line analysts.