Saleh al-Arouri, Deputy Head of Hamas’ political bureau, met in Beirut on Saturday with a delegation from the leadership of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – led by its Deputy Secretary-General, Jamil Mazhar. 

The two called on Hamas and the Popular Front to escalate their opposition against Israel.

The two factions also called on the Palestinian Authority leadership to “return to the intifada in order to achieve national unity and the settlement of the Palestinian home on national and democratic bases.”

Both sides reviewed the developments of the two organizations’ goals. The meeting also discussed the situation in the Ain al-Hilweh, a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, shortly after the clashes stopped two days ago. They confirmed their support for all parties to stabilize the ceasefire in the area.

The two factions emphasized that internal fighting must be prohibited, and the non-use of weapons in resolving conflicts in the Palestinian camps. They affirmed their desire for peace between Lebanese citizens and authorities, especially in the Sidon region and the southern areas of the country.

Arouri’s past threats

Last month, Arouri threatened regional warfare against Israel, to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas and Iran would pay “full price” for their terrorist attacks against Israel.

Arouri also said that the Israeli government would “suffer a resounding defeat, which will lead to their withdrawal from the entire West Bank.

“The leaders of the occupation government, with their extremist policies, will cause an all-out war in the region,” he continued.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.