Al-Ahmed Claims No Evidence on Infiltration of Suspects to Ain el-Hilweh

The aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Azzam al-Ahmed, has stressed that the presence of two Lebanese fugitives in the southern refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh is not yet certain.

“No one can enter the camp legally unless he gets a permit from the Lebanese state,” al-Ahmed told As Safir daily in an interview published on Friday.

“Infiltration (into the camp) is something else. We are ready to cooperate with the Lebanese state and so far we are not certain that those two wanted individuals have truly infiltrated the camp,” said al-Ahmed, who is on a visit to Lebanon.

Asked about reports that security forces were planning to enter the camp to arrest wanted individuals, al-Ahmed said: “I haven't heard such a thing.”

“But I honestly say that we back the spread of the state's sovereignty on all Lebanese territories, including the Palestinian camps,” he told As Safir.

“I hope that the state would be able to practice its mission in Ain el-Hilweh's all neighborhoods because this camp … lies on Lebanese territory,” al-Ahmed said.

“Many wanted suspects in Lebanon are threatening civil peace and we as Palestinians are committed to the security of Lebanon and are ready to cooperate with it and hand over any outlaw,” he added.

But the Palestinian official lamented that the Lebanese authorities haven't informed him about the presence of the two fugitives in Ain el-Hilweh, saying he heard about it from Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq's statements.

Osama Mansour and Shadi al-Mawlawi disappeared from the northern city of Tripoli following gunbattles between their followers and the Lebanese army in October. Reports have said that at least one of them is hiding in Ain el-Hilweh

Al-Ahmed and the representatives of all Palestinian factions are scheduled to meet with al-Mashnouq on Friday to discuss the issue.

Al-Akhbar daily said that officials in Ain el-Hilweh are mulling to force Mawlawi out of the camp despite al-Ahmed's claims that his presence in Ain el-Hilweh has not been confirmed.

The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that Asbat al-Ansar officials who took part in a meeting of Palestinian factions led by al-Ahmed vowed to hand over Mawlawi to the Lebanese authorities.

But they rejected to discuss the possibility of handing over other suspects whose names have been put on the government's list of wanted fugitives in Ain el-Hilweh.

The list includes the names of around 100 Palestinians from the camp, the sources said.

Asbat al-Ansar refused to discuss the fate of Mansour, saying it has not proved its presence in the camp, they added.

G.K.

H.K.