Bathily Urges Authorities in East, West Libya to Work Together Following Floods

Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL
Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL
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Bathily Urges Authorities in East, West Libya to Work Together Following Floods

Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL
Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State. Photo: UNSMIL

Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily has stressed the need for the authorities in East and West Libya to conduct a joint assessment of the humanitarian response following deadly floods in the country’s northeast.

Bathily met on Saturday with members of the Political Affairs Commission of the High Council of State.

He said on X (formerly Twitter) that he “listened to their assessment of the social, humanitarian, economic and political dimensions of the Derna disaster.”

“I stressed the need for authorities in the East and West to conduct a joint assessment of the humanitarian response and reconstruction needs,” he said.

“It is imperative that political leaders live up the moment and work together to overcome the tragedy,” he added.

The disaster in the Libyan city of Derna was caused by the collapse of two dams during a storm on the night of Sept. 10 that unleashed a deadly torrent.



Heavy Israeli Strikes Shake Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Heavy Israeli Strikes Shake Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Strong explosions in Beirut's southern suburbs began near midnight and continued into Sunday after Israel's military urged residents to evacuate areas in Dahiyeh.

Photos and video showed the blasts illuminating the southern suburbs, and sparking flashes of red and white visible from several kilometers away. They followed a day of sporadic strikes and the nearly continuous buzz of reconnaissance drones.

Israel's military confirmed it was striking targets near Beirut and said about 30 projectiles had crossed

from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with some intercepted.

The strikes reportedly targeted a building near a road leading to Rafik Hariri International Airport, and another building formerly used by the Hezbollah-run broadcaster Al-Manar. Social media reports claimed that one of the strikes hit an oxygen tank storage facility, but this was later denied by the owner of the company Khaled Kaddouha.

Shortly thereafter, Hezbollah claimed in a statement that it successfully targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near the Manara settlement in northern Israel “with a large rocket salvo, hitting them accurately.”

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Saturday that Israel had killed 440 Hezbollah fighters in its ground operations in southern Lebanon and destroyed 2,000 Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah has not released death tolls.

Israel says it stepped up its assault on Hezbollah to enable the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to homes in northern Israel, bombarded by the group since last Oct. 8.

Israeli authorities said on Saturday that nine Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon so far.