RAMALLAH, West Bank — The crisis in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus has constituted a challenge for the PLO, which has been thus far unable to find a solution for it. According to Anwar Abdul Hadi, the director of the PLO's political bureau in Damascus, the crisis in the camp has deteriorated further following the Islamic State (IS) seizing control of 90% of the camp by the beginning of April.

The PLO’s weakness has been exemplified by the conflicting and confused positions in regard to the required solution for the camp.

Member of the PLO Executive Committee Ahmad Majdalani announced in a news conference April 9 in Damascus that factions in the camp agreed on carrying out a military operation in coordination with the Syrian regime to push IS out of the camp. The PLO issued a statement the same day rejecting any military solution, in contrast with Majdalani’s announcement.

Khaled Abdul-Majid, secretary of the Palestinian Revolution Factions Alliance in Syria, denounced the PLO's conflicting statements and — in a report to Lebanese paper Al-Akhbar on April 17 — accused President Mahmoud Abbas of yielding to pressure on the part of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which reject Palestinian military intervention in the camp.