LEBANON: Abbas says against settlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon

Record ID: 347937

  • Title: LEBANON: Abbas says against settlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
  • Date: 29th August 2008
  • Summary: DEMONSTRATORS WALKING
  • Embargoed: 13th September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC7QENUV3JSJPD14ZHOL03Y944
  • Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds talks with Lebanese leaders as Palestinian refugees celebrate his arrival and hope the visit will improve their situation Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday (August 28) he was against the permanent re-settlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon as part of a future peace deal with Israel.
    Abbas, who is on a two-day visit to Lebanon, met Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and is set to hold talks with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri.
    There are almost 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon living in 12 camps in the country.
    Many camps have caused controversy in Lebanon, especially because of the presence of armed Palestinian groups inside. A UN resolution in 2004 called for the disarmament of all groups in Lebanon including Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups.
    Abbas sought to calm some of the tension the issue has caused by saying he stood alongside Beirut in its demands for the groups to disarm.
    ''Our official position regarding the question of (Palestinian) arms is totally the same as that of the Lebanese government. This is agreed upon by all the Lebanese and we know the Lebanese are behind this stance and that's why we are behind this stance. We are subject to the law in Lebanon and not above it," he said.
    ''Refugees must have the right to return and we are discussing this with the Israelis. But I would like to say that we are not with the naturalisation of Palestinians in Lebanon, we are against the naturalisation of Palestinians in Lebanon," he added.
    Palestinian groups have retained an armed presence inside their camps but not outside.
    Last year, the Lebanese army fought a tough battle against Islamist group Fatah al-Islam, based in the northern Nahr al-Bared camp, in a bloody five-month fight that killed tens and destroyed much of the camp.
    Clashes also frequently erupt in Ain el-Hilweh camp in the south between rival factions.
    In the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut, refugees welcomed Abbas' visit saying they hoped it would be positive for mutual ties and yield more rights for Palestinians.
    ''God willing, his visit will be a good initiative and we hope to have reconciliation between us and the Lebanese state and we hope this visit will give us better days and lead us to better relations with all the world,"
    said Jihad Khalil, a refugee at the camp.
    Another refugee, Badeeh al-Qabed, said the visit would boost relations between refugees and their Lebanese hosts.
    ''The visit by our brother Abu Mazen today to Lebanon gives hope to all the Palestinians who are in Lebanon that this visit will mark the beginning of Palestinian-Lebanese relations in a formal and diplomatic way and we hope this visit will be the beginning of Palestinian civil and social rights in Lebanon and a solution to the issue of Palestinian arms and the old differences between the Palestinian Authority and the Lebanese state," he said.
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