Shaky ceasefire at Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon after deadly clashes

A ceasefire was announced on Tuesday evening after fierce clashes between rival factions at a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon left two people dead, including a 12-year-old boy.

At least four other people, including a pregnant woman, were also injured on Tuesday in armed clashes at Ain el-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon and home to over 70,000 Palestinian refugees, as well as 50,000 Syrians who have settled there after the crisis in their homeland.

Violence first broke out last weekend, with at least three people injured before a ceasefire was announced on Sunday evening.

The agreement was broken on Monday night, when a bomb went off outside a call centre in the camp. 

Following the blast, Lebanon's national news agency reported hand grenades being used, as well as intensifying sniper fire.

On Tuesday morning, a 12-year-old boy, said to be a student at an UNRWA-run school and the son of a Fatah militant, died of his injuries after being hit by a stray bullet.

An 18-year-old, identified in Palestinian media as Maher Ahmed Dahsheh, was later killed by sniper fire.

Video footage circulating on social media showed people running away in the streets of the camp as gunfire could be heard in the background. Another video showed an explosion at the top of a building after it was apparently hit by a rocket.

One of those injured in the fighting was an UNRWA employee, named locally as Ziyad al-Ali, who was also hit by sniper fire.

On Tuesday afternoon the Lebanese army implemented "security measures" at the entrance to the camp in the southern city of Sidon, closing a road that runs alongside it after a shop was set on fire. 

As clashes continued to escalate into Tuesday afternoon, a group of mediators including Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Dabbour and representatives from the PLO and militant factions, met at the Palestinian embassy in Beirut.

Following the meeting, a ceasefire was declared.

However, in the hours immediately following the declaration, further injuries were reported, including that of the pregnant woman.

No further casualties had been reported by Tuesday night. 

UNRWA, the UN agency tasked with supporting displaced Palestinians within Palestine and in neighbouring countries, announced on Tuesday that it was suspending its activities in the camp "until further notice" due to security conditions on the ground.

Clashes are common in Ain el-Hilweh, Lebanon's most over-crowded refugee camp - last month the UN condemned violence that left several people injured, including an UNRWA staff member.