Beirut (AsiaNews) – Palestinian refugees are fleeing the Nahr al-Bared camp in their thousands, by bus, car, truck and even on foot, taking advantage of the current ceasefire between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-islam terrorists who have been under siege now for three straight days and who still refuse to lay down their arms.
While the death toll between soldier’s terrorists and civilians stands at over 70 and an indefinite number of wounded, the Lebanese government is receiving message of solidarity and pledges of aid from across the global spectrum. Yesterday, the Arab League Council thanked “the Arab nations who are providing military equipment to aid the Lebanese army”. The League’s secretary general, Amr Moussa, refused to give details regarding the type of equipment, “But – he added - we will continue to see how to help Lebanon and it depends on the developments”.
The United States also added its voice to the chorus of support for the Lebanese forces, while EU foreign secretary Javier Solana, currently on visit to Beirut, expressed “support for the Lebanese people, their army and government”.
Solana – who met with the Prime Minister Foaud Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri – excluded the theory that the international forces present in the South of the country could become involved in the operation and maintained that there was no proof of Syrian involvement in the recent episodes of violence.
Meanwhile tragic stories of the conditions of the people abandoning Nahr al-Bared, home to over 31 thousand Palestinians, continue to arrive: there is no water or electricity, homes have been reduced to rubble and there are bodies on the streets among cars in flames. Maybe today a United Nation’s convoy will attempt to bring vital aid to the camp, following yesterday’s sniper attack on a UN team bringing food and medical aid to the needy, forcing their immediate withdrawal.