Agreement reached on camp evacuation

Press, 13 August 1976, Page 5

Agreement reached on camp evacuation

AZI’A-Reuter Bvirut Agreement has been reached on the complete evacuation ot lei \I-Zaalar Palestinian camp, which has been under sics*. b\ Rightist forces in Beirut tor more than seven weeks, the \rab j 1 eague envoy, Dr Hassan Sabri \I-Kholi, has announced.

' The Rightists had said learlier that thev were on the | verge of completely over {running the camp and had captured the last remaining well supplying us defenders with watei Dr Kholi ga\e no details of the agreement between the Rightists and Palestinian leaders who had previously I said there was no question of surrender. Agreements reached in the ; past in Lebanon's civil war have often proved in effective. and observers I noted that only the Phalang lists, who control one sector; of the attacking forces' per i imeter, had signed for the Rightists. I It was unclear how manyl ipeople remained inside Tel

■AI Zaatar an enclave within Christian east Beirut which once had a population of about .30.000. A Palestinian spokesman 'aid the camp was turning into a mass grave, between .10 and 20 children dying .every day from dehydration land many people succumb ing to their wounds. Major Fouad Malek, commander of a Rightist besieg-j ng force from the Xattonall : liberal Party, said people .were escaping trom the .camp to surrender. He estimated that only about 300 ’fighters remained. 1 “1 think they want to surrender." he said. "They are (asking their headquarters fori authorisation to surrender.'

hut the (Palestinian! Rejn tion Front has gisen a >a:< . gorical order to kill esers one who tries to give up For the Palestinian res,s itance. the battle toi lei A Zaatar became a ssmho’ o pts vers struggle to sums* las an independent force • The camp has been te duced largels to rubh» 'under the prolonged attack from the encircling Right lists, who sowed to eliminate what thes tegard as an armed stronghold tn the.t midst. The Internationa! Rec (Cross managed to evacuate about 400 wounded or an k people last week, but was (forced to abandon tire opet at ion w hen its worker, came tinder sniper lite.