The Lebanese police on Saturday ordered dozens of Palestinian families seeking shelter in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes pending their demolition.
According to Palestinian sources the Lebanese authorities issued orders to evacuate 50 homes housing Palestinian refugee families al-Qasimiya community to the north of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre (Sour).
Established over 50 years ago following the mass-deportation of the Palestinians on the eve of the 1948 Nakba the al-Qasimiya community has been a home to 6000 Palestinian refugees mostly working in the agricultural field.
Recently the refugees thwarted an attempt by Lebanon’s al-Abassiya municipality to knock down Palestinian homes to expand the Sidon highway.
Thabet Organization for the Right of Return dubbed the developments signs of “a new humanitarian crisis endured by the Palestinian community in Lebanon.”
Thabet called for an urgent action as regards underway attempts to dislocate al-Shabriha community in favor of the Sidon highway.
The refugees voiced their support for ongoing projects to develop infrastructure in southern Lebanon on condition that they do not result in mass-deportation of the Palestinians.
The refugees urged the Lebanese government to work out the crisis and to build alternative homes to the west of the highway.
They further called on the international human rights institutions namely UNRWA and the mass media to take up their responsibilities regarding the affair.
