Palestinians (Lebanon-Report‪)‬

Extended Rights for Palestinians Raises Mixed Reactions The Lebanese Parliament's decision to grant Palestinian refugees in Lebanon some civil rights has raised mixed reactions here and abroad. While the decision has been welcomed by the United Nations, the Arab League and most Lebanese factions, Palestinian officials described it as an insufficient move to improve the miserable living conditions of the estimated 400,000 Palestinians spread in 12 refugee camps throughout Lebanon. The 128-member Parliament approved on August 17 a draft law granting Palestinians wider rights to employment and end of service indemnity, revoking a ban that had barred them from tens of professions for years, limiting them to jobs in fields such as construction and farming.