Syrian-based Palestinian factions started Tuesday deploying around the Yarmouk camp in Damascus as part of a deal designed to keep parts of the refugee camp neutral to the Syrian conflict.

Among the Palestinian factions, the Gathering of Yarmouk's Sons is composed of Palestinian fighters who used to fight along with the Syrian rebels inside the camp against the government troops.

The group agreed to the deal with other Palestinian factions to keep parts of the camp neutral so as to alleviate the suffering of the residents and to allow those displaced to return to their homes.

Abu Saleh al-Fityan, the coordinator of the Gathering, said Tuesday: "Now we are positioning on the outskirts of the Yarmouk camp with other Palestinian factions under the name of joint Palestinian forces."

He added the next steps were to facilitate the entry of aid into the camp and allow people to return to their homes.

However, he noted that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Fath al-Intifada were excluded from the joint forces because they fought with the Syrian troops.

The Yarmouk camp is a large district in southern Damascus. Among its 1 million residents, 180,000 are Palestinians, most of whom fled to Syria in 1948 following the establishment of the Israeli state.

The rebels stormed the camp in early 2013. Since then, most of the residents have fled to neighboring areas and foreign countries, while those who stayed have suffered hunger, illness and the lack of medical treatment.

Syrian government forces had besieged Yarmouk for months, blocking the entry of food and medical supplies in an attempt to drive out the rebels.