Abbas, Aoun back arms under Lebanese state control

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (right) and Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, on May 21, 2025. [AFP]

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas met in Beirut on Wednesday and backed placing all weapons under Lebanese state control, as they discussed efforts to disarm armed groups in Palestinian refugee camps.

A joint statement from the Lebanese presidency said the two leaders shared the "belief that the era of weapons outside Lebanese state control has ended" and backed the principle that arms should be held exclusively by the state.