PLO hands over fifth batch of heavy weapons at Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp

The handover of Palestinian weapons resumed Tuesday as the Palestine Liberation Organization surrendered a fifth batch of heavy weapons at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in the southeastern outskirts of the port city of Sidon.

During a visit to Beirut in May, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed that weapons in Lebanon's Palestinian camps would be handed over to the Lebanese authorities.

The implementation of the deal began in August, after the Lebanese government announced a plan to consolidate all weapons in the hands of the state by the end of the year.

Heavy weapons belonging to the factions of the PLO in Burj al-Barajneh south of Beirut, and in the Rashidieh, Al-Bass and Burj al-Shemali camps in south Lebanon were handed over to the Lebanese army.

Lebanon hosts about 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations agency UNRWA.

The move to collect the Palestinian factions' weapons comes as the Lebanese government, under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli military action, has tasked the army with drawing up a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year.

During a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that largely ended with a November ceasefire, Palestinian groups including Hamas claimed rocket fire towards Israel.