Worried that violence could spread through to other Palestinian camps the Lebanese Government gave the Palestinian factions time to deal with the Fatah al-Islam group.
The al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants have been battling the army around the Nahr al-Bared camp since May 20.

About 27 militants, 33 soldiers and 27 civilians have been killed in what is the worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.
About 20,000 refugees have fled Nahr al-Bared, home to 40,000 before the fighting.
Most of them settled in the nearby Beddawi camp causing serious overcrowding.

"What is slowing down the army is the realisation that we could have a nationwide problem," said Lebanese security expert Timur Goksel. "This would mainly be a reaction if the Palestinian civilian suffering was heavy."

The Lebanon representative of Palestinian group Islamic Jihad Abu Emad al-Refaie declared for Reuters that the Palestinian factions had yet to agree on how to "end the phenomenon of Fatah al-Islam peacefully".

The Government’s concern is that heavier army action could cause other violent clashes in other Palestinian camps in Lebanon which are autonomous enclaves and home to some 400,000.

"The military solution is no longer an option," Abu Emad al-Refaie added.

The demand of the Lebanese government to hand over Fatah al-Islam militants was firmly refuse by the Sunni Islamist militant group.
"This is impossible," Abu Salim Taha said by telephone from inside the camp.

The militants were not in direct contact with the Palestinian factions but talking to religious leaders in the camp, he said. "There is some mediation," he stated. "There were illogical proposals. Now we will see what will happen."