Hamas' Khaled Meshal warns against Palestinian 'internal strife' in Lebanon camps

Top Hamas official Khaled Meshal warned on Thursday against conflict between factions in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps, following an attack that left at least three people dead.

Meshal, who is head of Hamas' political bureau for the diaspora, visited Lebanon to discuss improving living conditions for Palestinian refugees after at least three Palestinians were killed during an attack on a funeral of Ibrahim Shaheen, a Hamas member, on Wednesday.

Raafat Al-Murra, a member of the Hamas leadership in Lebanon, accused members of the Fatah National Security Forces of firing at mourners attending Shaheen's funeral, which took place in the Burj al-Shamali camp near the city of Tyre.

"The shooting incident in the Burj al-Shamali camp will not push the movement to abandon its willingness to achieve national unity and to develop safety and stability inside the camps", Meshal said on Thursday, according to a statement carried by Hamas.

His statement also called on officials in Lebanon to "punish the killers, hand them over, and hold them accountable in accordance with the law."

"This crime can't go unpunished, but certainly, this does not mean that we will go to an internal conflict, or to spread any kind of conflict within the camps," he added, saying that Hamas cares about Lebanon's stability.

"The Palestinian people residing in Lebanon in the camps are a guest of the country and respect the principles of hospitality, under the roof of law and order and the laws of the state", Meshal urged.

There are currently Lebanon is around 200,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, distributed in 12 camps, most of which are under the influence of Palestinian factions.

The armed factions occasionally fight in the camps.