Lebanon starts process to disarm Palestinian factions in refugee camps

BEIRUT (AP) — A group tasked with making a plan to remove weapons held by Palestinian factions in Lebanon’s refugees camps met for the first time Friday to begin hashing out a timetable and mechanism for disarming the groups.

The Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, a government body that serves as an interlocutor between Palestinian refugees and officials, said the meeting was attended by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and that “participants agreed to launch a process for the disarmament of weapons according to a specific timetable."

The group added that it also aimed to take steps to "enhance the economic and social rights of Palestinian refugees.”

A Lebanese official familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said work to remove the weapons would begin within a month.

The meeting followed a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Lebanon, during which he and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced an agreement that Palestinian factions would not use Lebanon as a launchpad for any attacks against Israel, and that weapons would be consolidated under the authority of the Lebanese government.

There are multiple Palestinian factions active in Lebanon’s refugee camps, which include Abbas’ Fatah movement, the rival Hamas group and a range of other Islamist and leftist groups.

The 12 Palestinian refugee camps aren’t under the control of Lebanese authorities, and rival groups have clashed inside the camps in recent years, inflicting casualties and affecting nearby areas.

Hamas and allied Palestinian groups also fought alongside the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah against Israel in Lebanon in a war that ended with a ceasefire in November. Hezbollah has been under increasing pressure to give up its own weapons since then.

Ihsan Ataya, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which is allied with Hamas, said in a statement that his group “adheres to the laws of the host country and respects applicable laws.” But he questioned how the disarmament would be implemented and “whether the goal of raising the issue of weapons today was to yield to American pressure to resettle Palestinian refugees” and “eliminate the symbolism of resistance in the camps related to the refugees' right of return to their homes" in what is now Israel.

Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha told local TV station Al Jadeed that Hamas does not have “military centers” in Lebanon, inside or outside of the camps and is “keen on the security and stability of our Palestinian camps." He said they are also “keen to establish the best relations with our brothers in Lebanon at the government level, at the popular level and at the level of resistance.”

He did not clearly say whether the group would hand over any weapons it has.

The Lebanese official said that Hamas’ office in Lebanon would be allowed to remain open if it worked only on political and not military matters.

There are nearly 500,000 Palestinians registered with UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, in Lebanon. However, the actual number in the country is believed to be around 200,000, as many have emigrated but remain on UNRWA’s roster.

They are prohibited from working in many professions, have few legal protections and can’t own property.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, reviews an honor guard upon his arrival to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Government Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, right, gestures as he speaks with an official while waiting to welcome Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Government Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam gestures to journalists while waiting to welcome Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Government Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, centre, smiles as he leaves after his meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, centre, leaves after his meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, left background, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday fired off another warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braces for potential widespread unrest after Nicolás Maduro was deposed as Venezuela's leader.

Cuba, a major beneficiary of Venezuelan oil, has now been cut off from those shipments as U.S. forces continue to seize tankers in an effort to control the production, refining and global distribution of the country's oil products.

Trump said on social media that Cuba long lived off Venezuelan oil and money and had offered security in return, “BUT NOT ANYMORE!”

“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!” Trump said in the post as he spent the weekend at his home in southern Florida. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” He did not explain what kind of deal.

The Cuban government said 32 of its military personnel were killed during the American operation last weekend that captured Maduro. The personnel from Cuba’s two main security agencies were in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, as part of an agreement between Cuba and Venezuela.

“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” Trump said Sunday. “Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.”

Trump also responded to another account’s social media post predicting that his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will be president of Cuba: “Sounds good to me!” Trump said.

Trump and top administration officials have taken an increasingly aggressive tone toward Cuba, which had been kept economically afloat by Venezuela. Long before Maduro's capture, severe blackouts were sidelining life in Cuba, where people endured long lines at gas stations and supermarkets amid the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.

Trump has said previously that the Cuban economy, battered by years of a U.S. embargo, would slide further with the ouster of Maduro.

“It’s going down,” Trump said of Cuba. “It’s going down for the count.”

A person watches the oil tanker Ocean Mariner, Monrovia, arrive to the bay in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

President Donald Trump attends a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)