Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said that the armed clashes in a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon are unacceptable as they violate the country’s sovereignty.
Armed clashes between members of the Palestinian Fatah Movement and Islamist militants in the Ain Al-Helweh camp intensified on Monday, with the death toll increasing to 11 and injuries to 37, Xinhua news agency reported.
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A statement released by the cabinet quoted Mikati on Monday as saying, “What is happening is unacceptable as it places the camp outside the control of the state; every resident of the Lebanese territory must respect the country’s sovereignty.”
Mikati added that despite the ceasefire agreed upon among Palestinian factions, some parties are constantly violating it.
Clashes between rival Palestinian groups often occur in the Ain Al-Helweh camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.