Palestinian gunmen in Lebanon are set to join the fighting against the IDF, the leader of the Fatah faction in Lebanon, Sultan Abu al-Aynain, announced on Tuesday. He said Fatah, which is headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, has thousands of fighters in Lebanon who are prepared to participate in the fighting and warned Israel against targeting Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. It is unclear whether the announcement was made in coordination with Abbas. Sources close to Abbas refused to comment on Abu al-Aynain's threats, but acknowledged that he was Fatah's "military commander" in Lebanon. The sources pointed out that in the past, Abu al-Aynain had dispatched Palestinians to Iraq to fight against US troops. "We are interested in defending our camps and we will fight with honor to preserve our dignity™," Abu al-Aynain told the Al-Arabiya TV News Channel. "We will resist any attempt to approach our camps."
The Fatah leader was speaking shortly after Israeli missiles fell near the Rashidiyeh refugee camp near the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon. "We can't stay out of the battle if Israel invades south Lebanon," he said. "Once the Israeli enemy comes near our refugee camps, the Palestinians will have the courage to fight against this ugly aggression."