Palestinians Receive List of Fugitives at Ain el-Hilweh as Maqdah Says Camp Not a Hideout

Lebanese officials reportedly handed over to Azzam al-Ahmad, aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a list of wanted fugitives who had taken refuge at the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh.

Palestinian sources said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper that once the security committee at the camp receives the list it will kick off an operation to preserve stability at the camp and avert any attempt to involve the refugee camps in the situation in Lebanon.

Al-Ahmad arrived in Lebanon on Monday and met with senior Lebanese officials including Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Tammam Salam and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.

Fatah Movement Commander in Lebanon Maj. Gen. Munir al-Maqdah revealed that there is a good chance that Islamist fugitive Shadi al-Mawlawi is hiding at Ain el-Hilweh, pointing out that his accomplice Osama Mansour is nowhere to be found.

“There is a 90 percent chance that Mawlawi is at the camp, but information on Mansour is still unconfirmed,” Maqdah said in comments to al-Joumhouria.

The Palestinian official stressed that Fatah “has a duty inside Ain el-Hilweh to prevent any attempts to turn it into a safe haven for fugitives or assailants who are posing threat on security.”

“We have no knowledge about the role of some sides at the camp regarding aiding the suicide bombers of (Tripoli's) Jabal Mohsen neighborhood,” Maqdah stressed.

He ruled out reports saying that the situation at Ain el-Hilweh will explode, saying: “The situation is currently under control, but no one can guarantee it 100 percent.”

On Tuesday, the military prosecutor charged 28 people over the Jabal Mohsen attack, including top Islamist fugitives Mansour and Mawlawi -- who are both still on the run.

Media reports said that several fugitives, including Salafist cleric Ahmed al-Asir, salafist-turned singer Fadel Shaker, Mawlawi and Mansour, have fled to Ain el-Hilweh and are running cells that are planning attacks against Lebanese interests.

Located near the southern city of Sidon, Ain el-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian camp in the country and is home to about 50,000 refugees.

It is known to harbor extremists and fugitives.

Tension frequently surges in the camp as a result of armed disputes between the different Palestinian factions.

By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does not enter the country's 12 refugee camps, leaving security inside to the Palestinians themselves.

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