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)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)