Lebanon’s Islamic Group igniting fire in Palestinian refugee camp

Aya Ezz

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.

Search for the Brotherhood

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.