Palestinian war: Thousands of 'refugees' displaced in Lebanon

The internal Palestinian Arab violence in Lebanese "refugee camps" continues to heat up, and according to UNRWA, the UN agency established for "Palestinian refugees," up to 3,000 Palestinian Arabs have been displaced due to the escalating clashes.

UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said that the displacement has been taking place in Ain al-Hilweh, the largest "camp" in the country which is located in southern Lebanon, Arutz Sheva reported on Wednesday.

Clashes between the Islamist group Jund al-Sham and the leading Palestinian Authority (PA) faction Fatah in Ain al-Hilweh left three people dead on Monday night, with the fighting continuing on into Tuesday morning.

The gunfights come despite a "ceasefire" on Sunday, after Jund al-Sham tried to assassinate the Fatah security chief in the town and sparked clashes in which three people were killed and 18 others were wounded. It appears that Jund al-Sham didn't take part in the "ceasefire" talks, which were attended by PA ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Dabbour.

According to Gunness, the gun battles in the town have had a "serious impact on the Palestine refugee community."

"We are deeply concerned over reports that civilians are endangered and that our installations have been directly affected by the fighting," he said, noting UNRWA has limited access to Ain al Hilweh.

"UNRWA condemns any armed group that fails to respect its obligations under international law to protect civilians and to respect the inviolability of United Nations premises."

Gunness said UNRWA is working on providing humanitarian goods to the camp, which is home to over 54,000 residents, with more Palestinian Arabs said to have entered in recent years from Syria.

Source: MENA