Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his fervent wish for a full and all-encompassing ceasefire within the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, located in the southern part of Lebanon. The call, conducted with the caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, underscores President Abbas’s proactive steps towards ensuring peace in the region.
President Abbas affirmed that he has issued stringent instructions emphasizing the need for a comprehensive truce from all involved factions in the camp. Furthermore, he highlighted his determination to bring about this ceasefire in line with Lebanese law, maintaining a collaborative stance with the Lebanese state.
The Palestinian News Agency, Wafa, reported on this interaction, shedding light on the ongoing developments at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, home to many Palestinians in southern Lebanon.
Following these diplomatic efforts, a cautious calm seems to have descended upon the Ain al-Hilweh camp, situated near the city of Sidon in Lebanon’s southern province. This serenity comes on the heels of a consensus reached regarding the reestablishment of a previously agreed-upon ceasefire within the camp, originally put into effect earlier in August.
On Saturday, Palestine initiated preparations for an emergency response and intervention team to assist Morocco in the wake of a devastating earthquake.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry announced that, under direct orders from President Mahmoud Abbas and directed by Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh through the Palestinian International Cooperation Agency (PICA), they are preparing the emergency response team. This team, with vast experience in such crises, previously intervened during the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria earlier this year.
The Ministry added that they are now in the process of assembling this team, which will move out based on direct instructions, awaiting official communication from Morocco regarding their acceptance of rescue and rapid response delegations from several countries. These delegations will be distributed according to the needs presented by the official Moroccan entities.
Furthermore, the Ministry noted that, as is customary in similar situations, they are working to provide essential assistance, including medications, blankets, tents, drinking water, and other primary needs, as announced by the concerned governmental bodies in the Kingdom of Morocco.