Lebanon's Islamic Group igniting fire in Palestinian refugee camp
At
the end of July, the
Palestinian refugee camp, Ain al-Hilweh, in
southern Lebanon was the scene of bloody clashes between rival Palestinian
factions.
The
clashes left six people dead and dozens of others injured.
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A military commander of
Fatah movement which leads the Palestinian Authority was among the dead victims
of the clashes.
A member of the Muslim Youth
Group, an Islamist group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Lebanon,
was also among the dead.
These events have
raised questions about the role of the Islamic Group, the arm of the Muslim
Brotherhood in Lebanon, in the camp and on the Palestinian scene, in general.
Role of
Islamic Group
Ain al-Hilweh is the
largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
The camp is home to about
63,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations.
The camp is outside the
control of the Lebanese state, whereas Palestinian factions are responsible for
maintaining law and order in it.
The camp witnesses
frequent clashes between rival factions, due to political, personal or
sectarian differences.
The Islamic Group
participates in these confrontations, either as a conflicting party or as a
mediator to end the violence, according to local Lebanese newspapers.
In the latest events, the
Islamic Group was party to the clashes against Fatah, the strongest faction in
the camp.
The fighting began when
a member of the Muslim Youth Group, an affiliate of the Islamic Group, was
killed in an armed incident.
The group avenged his
killing by killing a Fatah military commander and four of his aides in an
ambush.
Bassam Hammoud, deputy
head of the group's Political Bureau, said at the time that these crimes were
aimed at destabilizing the camp. He also called for an immediate ceasefire.
Repercussions
The events that took
place in the camp drew various reactions from the parties involved.
Lebanese Prime Minister,
Najib Mikati, condemned the settling of accounts, which uses the Lebanese arena
as a springboard, and called for controlling the security situation in the
camp.
Palestinian Authority
President, Mahmoud Abbas, described the security of Palestinian refugee camps
as a 'red line', and called for calm.
Islamic
Group
The Islamic Group is a
political advocacy movement that was founded in Lebanon in 1982. It is considered
an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The group includes
members of various Islamic sects. It aims to spread Islamic teachings and
defend the causes of Muslims in Lebanon.
The group participates
in Lebanon's political and parliamentary life.
