Summary
Dozens of masked gunmen deployed around entrances to the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in the early hours of Sunday morning, with a senior Fatah official stressing that this was part of efforts to preserve security in the camp.
Makdah's men are not among the elite 150-member force which the disparate Palestinian factions agreed to deploy in the camp to restore security.
Sources in the camp, however, suggested Makdah's move was intended to send a message to the PLO and Fatah authorities, to urge them to include his group in the forthcoming security plan.
For the past two years, Makdah has been working primarily with Palestinian refugees from Syria, and has been distanced from top Palestinian leadership positions, according to sources.
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