Democratic Palestine : 20 (ص 5)
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- Democratic Palestine : 20 (ص 5)
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Diary of the Camp War
South Lebanon
Rashidiya
All efforts to implement a ceasefire agreement between Amal and the
Palestinians in South Lebanon failed, as Amal consistently escalated
the war. All indications point to the fact that Amal is determined to
impose its schemes, spreading its unholy war to all the Palestinian
camps in Lebanon. This aims to liquidate the Palestinian armed pre-
sence, in order to impose Amal’s dominance over as much of
Lebanon as possible. In this way, Amal strives to gain a bigger share
in the government in a sectarian redivision of power in Lebanon.
Amal provoked the situation on Sep-
tember 5th, when 30 of its militants
stormed Al Qasmeyeh camp, on the
road between Tyre and Sidon. Many
houses in the camp were barbarically
stormed in a search for weapons. Many
houses were destroyed, and dozens of
young men were rounded up. Two days
later, on Sept. 7th, Amal elements
proceeded to Burj Al Shamali camp,
near Tyre. Houses were stormed and
searched. Everyone in the streets of the
camp was barbarically beaten; ten men
were arrested, three of them members
of the local popular committee. All
attempts by the popular committees in
both camps, to recover the detainees,
failed.
As we wrote about in «Democratic
Palestine» no.19, groups from Amal
installed a road block at the entrance to
Rashidiya and held back a bulldozer
and trucks loaded with building mate-
rial for a hospital project in the camp.
Later in the day, these were destroyed,
on the pretext that they were being used
to build military fortifications. Amal
used humiliating methods to search
everyone entering or leaving the camp.
Each day, many were beaten and
detained.
The next day, Amal brought one of
their injured fighters to Jabal A’amel
hopital in Al Bus camp to be operated
on. Along with the patient, they
brought Palestinian and Lebanese pri-
soners, to force them to donate blood,
but the doctors refused this.
Amal’s practices became more and
more unbearable. A delegation of the
security committee that includes repre-
sentatives from Amal and the Palestine
National Salvation Front, arrived in
Rashidiya camp to meet with the
popular committee and listen to their
complaints. They heard the story of
continuous detentions of Palestinians,
confiscation of foodstuffs at the road-
block, harassment of shopowners, tor-
ture of prisoners, and storming and
destruction of houses. Amal’s repre-
sentatives in the security committee
promised not to harass any Palestinian,
inside or outside Rashidiya, unless they
are suspected of security violations.
They also promised to allow food-
stuffs, and medical and construction
materials to enter the camp.
After the security committee left the
camp the next day, Amal did not live up
to their promises, but resumed their
barbaric practices which greatly
resemble the practices of the Zionist
enemy. Many houses were stormed on
Sept. 10th, in a search for weapons.
This situation went on for five days,
requiring a second meeting with Amal’s
leadership. On Sept. 15th, a meeting
was held in Damascus between leaders
of the PNSF in the South, representa-
tives from the Lebanese National Unity
Front, the Political Council of Sidon,
Syrian observers and Amal. Discussion
focused on points of joint action bet-
ween the PNSF and the Amal move-
ment. Amal’s leadership agreed on the
following points:
1. giving the popular committee the role
of resolving the problems of the Pales-
tinian masses in the camps, and regula-
ting relations with Amal in the South;
2. not to discriminate between Leba-
nese and Palestinians in terms of poli-
tical activities, freedom of speech, work
and transportation; and to facilitate
transportation for Palestinians;
3. to give strict orders to Amal’s secu-
rity not to beat and torture Palestinian
prisoners;
4. to release all political prisoners in the
South immediately;
5. to allow foodstuffs, medical and
building material to enter Rashidiya;
6. to give all facilities possible to the
fighters in order that they can combat
the Zionist enemy;
7. to deal with the expansion of armed
presence in Sidon and nearby areas
through a joint military plan.
The Amal cadres who signed the
agreement promised to abide by it. The
situation was relatively calm for two
weeks despite minor violations by the
Amal forces around the camp, but this
was the calm before the storm.
AMAL IGNITES THE WAR
On Oct. Ist, early in the morning,
Amal ignited the battle by subjecting
the camp to heavy firing. The fighters
charged with defending the camp fired
back to force Amal to stop. Half an
hour later, Amal started shelling the
camp, using all types of weapons. The
deteriorating situation called for an
emergency meeting. The PNSF and the
popular committee met for long hours.
There were communications with the
nationalist leaders of Sidon and the
Syrian observers. A second emergency
meeting took place that same day bet-
ween the PNSF and the Lebanese
National Unity Front,in order to coor-
dinate steps to prevent the deteriorating
situation in the Tyre area.
A third meeting was immediately
called for, this time of Sidon’s Political
Council, which the PNSF and Amal
attended. It was decided to send a
high-level delegation to the area to
control the situation. At the same time
a fourth meeting was held with Red
Cross officials in the South. The Red
Cross failed to extract Amal’s permis-
sion to enter the camp with medical aid
and to transport the injured to a Sidon
hospital.
During a short ceasefire, the popular
committee met with Amal cadres out-
side the camp. Amal demanded that the
popular committee surrender all heavy
weapons before discussing a ceasefire.
Amal continued to shell the camp hea-
vily for three days, using 60mm mor-
tars and different caliber machine guns.
Amal gunfire murdered one Palestinian
and injured another on Oct. 3rd. In
retaliation, a group of Palestinian
fighters attacked the roadblock, and
destroyed a vehicle belonging to Amal.
In the evening Amal shelled the camp
for four continuous hours. Early in the
morning of Oct. 4th, the shelling
stopped, but there was sniping for
several hours, injuring one Palestinian.
At 3:30 p.m. Amal opened fire on the
camp again, using 107/81mm mortars,
RPG’s and 23 mm machine guns; three
Palestinians were injured and several
houses were destroyed. At 4 a.m. the
next day, there was an hour of shelling
5
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