Two people were killed when gunmen briefly opened fire in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, breaching a tense ceasefire, Palestinian sources said on Thursday.A source from the Fateh faction said, accoridng to AFP, that a Fateh official and a civilian had been killed in fire by ‘unidentified gunmen’ overnight, in Ain al-Hilweh, southern Lebanon.
The breach threatened a ceasefire that ended several days of clashes between Fateh and an Islamist group in the camp.
Palestinian officials said the ceasefire remained in place despite the breach and that high-level contacts were made during the night to ensure it would be respected.
Ain al-Hilweh is an impoverished, overcrowded camp near the coastal city of Sidon, home to some 61,000 Palestinians, including 6,000 who fled the war in Syria.
By long-standing convention, Lebanon’s army does not enter Palestinian refugee camps, meaning many have turned into lawless areas.
See: 3 Killed During Lebanon Camp Clashes, Thousands Displaced for further info.
