| Israel must obey UN
before Palestinians in Lebanon disarm: Fatah BEIRUT
- Fatah chief Faruq Qaddumi said Saturday that armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon would
not give up their weapons until Israel complies with dozens of UN resolutions issued
against it.
"There are 28 resolutions that have not been implemented" by Israel, the head of
the mainstream Palestinian Fatah movement told reporters after meeting Lebanese Foreign
Minister Mahmud Hammud.
"Let Israel and the United States, which obstructs the implementation of these
resolutions, implement them first, before asking us to implement other resolutions,"
said Qaddumi.
UN Security Council Resolution 1559, passed in September, calls for the pullout of all
foreign forces from Lebanon as well as the disarming of all militias on its soil.
Leaders of Palestinian militant groups in Lebanon have repeatedly rejected the idea of
being disarmed, saying Israel continues to be a threat.
Israel has been the object of numerous UN Security Council and General Assembly
resolutions condemning its actions, which it ignores, usually dismissing the world body as
biased.
The United States generally vetoes binding UN Security Council resolutions passed against
its key Middle Eastern ally.
Lebanon and the Palestinians have repeatedly called for the implementation of UN
Resolution 194, passed in 1948, which guarantees the Palestinians' right of return to
their homeland.
About 400,000 Palestinian refugees are registered in Lebanon, half of whom live in 12
camps peppered across the country.
The Lebanese army is deployed around Palestinian refugee camps but does not venture
inside, leaving security to armed Palestinian factions. |
