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Egypt Prepares Aircraft Carrier to Serve as Field Hospital in Libya

Food aid that was dispatched to help those affected by Storm Daniel in Libya. (AFP)
Food aid that was dispatched to help those affected by Storm Daniel in Libya. (AFP)
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Egypt Prepares Aircraft Carrier to Serve as Field Hospital in Libya

Food aid that was dispatched to help those affected by Storm Daniel in Libya. (AFP)
Food aid that was dispatched to help those affected by Storm Daniel in Libya. (AFP)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered on Wednesday the preparation of a Mistral aircraft carrier to serve as a field hospital for the victims of Storm Daniel that struck Libya.

The president instructed the establishment of shelter camps in the Western Military Region for Libyans who lost their homes, according to the Egyptian presidency post on X.

State television quoted presidential spokesman Ahmed Fahmy as saying that Sisi directed the forces and members heading to Libya to make every effort to mitigate the effects of the humanitarian disaster.

Furthermore, the European Union has released an initial €500,000 ($536,545) in humanitarian funding to tackle the most urgent needs of people in Libya affected by the impact of Storm Daniel.

Immediately, EU Member States – so far Germany, Romania, and Finland - have offered substantial assistance in the form of shelter items such as tents, field beds and blankets, 80 generators, food items, as well as hospital tents and water tanks.

Funding will be channeled through partners operating on the ground to deliver lifesaving health and water and sanitation supplies for the flood response in Libya.

The Permanent Mission of the State of Libya to the UN office in Geneva requested on Tuesday assistance from the EU following the floods that killed more than 5,000.

In the same context, the first two planes of the Qatari air bridge arrived at Benina International Airport in Benghazi. The two planes are carrying 67 tons of relief aid as an emergency response to the humanitarian situation in areas affected by floods and torrents.

The aid included medical and food supplies, in addition to a field hospital.

Algeria also dispatched humanitarian aid to Libya including medical supplies, tents and food. The Algerian team included divers and rescue operators.

Furthermore, Jordan dispatched a humanitarian aid plane to Libya.

Hussein Al-Shibli, Secretary-General of Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, stated that this was done in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and the Jordanian Armed Forces.

The Organization added that the first plane carries emergency relief materials consisting of tents, blankets, mattresses, and food parcels.

For his part, Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq issued directives to send urgent humanitarian aid to Libya.

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Arab World

Israel Seeks to Fragment the West Bank as It Has in Gaza

Two Israeli soldiers stand next to a military vehicle during an operation in Jenin, West Bank, March 4, 2025 (Reuters). 
Two Israeli soldiers stand next to a military vehicle during an operation in Jenin, West Bank, March 4, 2025 (Reuters). 
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Israel Seeks to Fragment the West Bank as It Has in Gaza

Two Israeli soldiers stand next to a military vehicle during an operation in Jenin, West Bank, March 4, 2025 (Reuters). 
Two Israeli soldiers stand next to a military vehicle during an operation in Jenin, West Bank, March 4, 2025 (Reuters). 

Palestinian and Israeli sources have confirmed that Israel is making a concerted push to revive the defunct “Village Leagues” project—an initiative from the 1970s that sought to divide Palestinian areas in the West Bank into isolated cantons under Israeli control. The plan, which was fiercely opposed by Palestinians at the time, is now being reintroduced as part of Israel’s post-war vision for Gaza, sources say.

According to these sources, the initiative is being promoted by senior Israeli officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a key role in the Defense Ministry and oversees the Civil Administration in the West Bank. Israel is also reportedly lobbying for support from the United States, several European nations, and regional Arab powers.

A former Israeli general involved in administering the occupied territories said the project, much like in 1978 during Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s tenure, enjoys no support among Palestinians today.

“Back then, Palestinians rejected the Village Leagues outright. Some of their leaders were even targeted and assassinated,” the general said. “Ironically, the Israeli right also opposed the initiative—especially when it began morphing into a political movement calling for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. They feared it might pave the way for a Palestinian state and instead pushed for expanding settlements.”

“Settlements were built in large numbers,” he continued. “At the same time, reports of widespread corruption among league leaders surfaced, further undermining their credibility. Eventually, the Israeli government dismantled the project.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked his ambitions in Gaza to US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal for “voluntary migration.” In response to American demands for a clear “day after” plan for Gaza, Netanyahu has floated a modern-day version of the Village Leagues concept—though still tied to his insistence on a decisive military victory in Gaza and the West Bank, and a long-term Israeli military presence in the Strip.

Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party has signaled support for this strategy, including plans to establish settlements inside Gaza.

On the ground, Netanyahu and newly appointed Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi have already begun implementing a phased plan in Gaza. It includes the seizure of land—particularly in the northern part of the Strip—the forced displacement of as many civilians as possible, and the installation of local strongmen or “warlords” to manage small, isolated zones of governance.

This “Gaza model” is a practical extension of the “cantons plan” first proposed by far-right academic Mordechai Kedar. His blueprint called for the creation of Palestinian mini-emirates or enclaves with limited self-governance across the West Bank, under the overarching security control of Israel to ensure the protection and growth of Israeli settlements.

Asaf David, a leading expert on Israel and Middle East affairs, told Haaretz on Friday that this approach is the real-world application of Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century.” While that plan paid lip service to a “Palestinian state,” David argues that the current trajectory suggests that a Trump administration would likely not only accept such a scheme—but actively promote it.

Israeli analysts warn that even if the US Congress were to restrain a future Trump administration after the midterm elections, or if a Democratic administration were to take office in four years, and even if Netanyahu’s government were to fall before the scheduled 2026 elections, the changes being made on the ground could be nearly irreversible.