Iran has expressed concerns about fatal clashes at a refugee camp in Lebanon that have pitted Palestinian groups against each other, urging the Palestinians to close ranks in the face of the Israeli enemy.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani made the remarks on Thursday, as days of confrontations in the Palestinian Ain al-Hilweh camp in southern Lebanon have left at least 12 dead and dozens wounded.
He underlined the need for a complete cessation of the fighting at the densely populated refugee camp, saying all parties should abide by a ceasefire.
“Palestine needs unity and cohesion within the ranks of the Palestinians more than ever,” the spokesman added.
“It is necessary that the Palestinian groups, currents, and nation remain vigilance and use their power and resources to fight against the occupying Zionist enemy, which is the source of all the problems for the Palestinian people, along with instability and chaos in the region.”
Kan’ani further called on the Palestinians to provide the ground for the complete eradication of the Israeli occupation, the return of all refugees to their homeland, and the establishment of an independent and unified Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital.
More than 63,000 people, most of them Palestinians, live in Ain al-Hilweh situated in the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said over 2,000 people were forced to flee since the beginning of the clashes in the camp, which involved heavy weaponry.