Jeddah: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have advised their citizens to promptly leave Lebanon and steer clear of areas experiencing armed clashes. Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Lebanon issued a statement on August 5, cautioning citizens against visiting regions with ongoing armed conflicts. Although the specific locations weren’t specified, the embassy emphasized compliance with Saudi travel restrictions to Lebanon.
Similarly, Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged its citizens to heed prior advisories against traveling to Lebanon and encouraged them to exit the country for their safety. The ministry provided contact information for the Bahraini Embassy in Damascus in case of emergencies.
Kuwait also issued an advisory on August 5, urging Kuwaitis in Lebanon to remain vigilant and avoid areas with security disturbances, without explicitly calling for their departure from the country.
On August 1, the United Kingdom updated its travel advice for Lebanon, recommending against non-essential travel to certain areas near the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh. Clashes between Fatah and a hard-line group within the camp since July 29 have resulted in casualties and injuries.
Fatah has accused armed groups, including Jund al-Sham and al-Shabab al-Muslim, of the killing of a Fatah military general named Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi in the camp. Palestinian factions within the camp established an investigative committee to determine responsibility for the killing and plan to hand over the culprits to the Lebanese judiciary.
Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, reached out to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, urging an immediate resolution to the volatile situation and cautioning that Lebanese military intervention might be necessary to quell the fighting.
Mikati denounced the ongoing clashes as a blatant breach of Lebanese sovereignty, deeming it unacceptable for the feuding Palestinian factions to instill fear among the Lebanese populace, particularly those residing in the southern region who have extended support to Palestinians over the years. His office released a statement conveying these sentiments.
While the Lebanese army typically refrains from entering Palestinian camps, which are overseen by a network of Palestinian factions, it has refrained from taking an active stance in the ongoing strife in Ein el-Hilweh. Despite many generations residing in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees and their descendants are not granted Lebanese citizenship, resulting in a lack of comparable privileges and entitlements enjoyed by Lebanese citizens.
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