US Pledges to Support Unity of Libyan Military

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily, and municipal leaders in the Amazigh town of Jadu in western Libya. Photo: Bathily's account on X
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily, and municipal leaders in the Amazigh town of Jadu in western Libya. Photo: Bathily's account on X
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US Pledges to Support Unity of Libyan Military

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily, and municipal leaders in the Amazigh town of Jadu in western Libya. Photo: Bathily's account on X
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily, and municipal leaders in the Amazigh town of Jadu in western Libya. Photo: Bathily's account on X

The United States has expressed continued support for efforts to unify the Libyan military.

During a visit this week to Misrata and Al Khoms, “the US Defense Attache delegation made productive visits to the Central Military Zone, Al Khoms naval base, and various important military and counterterrorism forces,” the US embassy to Libya said on X.

The statement expressed US appreciation to these forces’ strategic role and commitment to peace.

“We will continue to support efforts in all regions of Libya to promote enduring security, unify the Libyan military, and safeguard Libyan sovereignty,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily, met on Monday with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Libya Shimmura Izuru.

“We reviewed the current political, security, and economic landscape, and the challenges to advancing the political process, including forming a unified government,” Bathily said on X.

He also met with French Ambassador Mustafa Mihraj to discuss the latest political and security developments in Libya and the prospects for reviving the stalled political process.

“We also touched on the situation in neighboring countries and the possible impact on Libya,” Bathily said on X.

Furthermore, Bathily visited the Amazigh town of Jadu in western Libya and met with municipal leaders there.

“Throughout my visits to numerous cities, engaging with a variety of citizens and cultural groups, I’ve discerned a clear desire among the Libyan people to resolve this crisis and achieve stability. The responsibility for the current division in the country squarely lies with its political leaders,” Bathily stated.

“Given that electoral laws are in place, the time is now ripe for a political settlement and the formation of a unified government to lead the country until elections are completed. I urge you, as Amazigh municipal leaders, to engage with national leaders to find a solution to the Libyan crisis,” he added.



Human Rights Watch Says Israel's Deprivation of Water in Gaza is Act of Genocide

Displaced Palestinians line up to fill their containers with water in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on September 14, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group. (Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP)
Displaced Palestinians line up to fill their containers with water in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on September 14, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group. (Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP)
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Human Rights Watch Says Israel's Deprivation of Water in Gaza is Act of Genocide

Displaced Palestinians line up to fill their containers with water in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on September 14, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group. (Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP)
Displaced Palestinians line up to fill their containers with water in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on September 14, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas militant group. (Photo by Bashar TALEB / AFP)

Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians in Gaza by denying them clean water which it says legally amounts to acts of genocide and extermination.
"This policy, inflicted as part of a mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, means Israeli authorities have committed the crime against humanity of extermination, which is ongoing. This policy also amounts to an 'act of genocide' under the Genocide Convention of 1948," Human Rights Watch said in its report.
Israel has repeatedly rejected any accusation of genocide, saying it has respected international law and has a right to defend itself after the cross-border Hamas-led attack from Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023 that precipitated the war, reported Reuters.
In a statement on X, Israel's foreign ministry wrote: "The truth is the complete opposite of HRW's lies."
"Since the beginning of the war, Israel has facilitated the continuous flow of water and humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite operating under constant attacks of Hamas terror organization," the statement said.
Although the report described the deprivation of water as an act of genocide, it noted that proving the crime of genocide against Israeli officials would also require establishing their intent. It cited statements by some senior Israeli officials which it said suggested they "wish to destroy Palestinians" which means the deprivation of water "may amount to the crime of genocide".
"What we have found is that the Israeli government is intentionally killing Palestinians in Gaza by denying them the water that they need to survive," Lama Fakih, Human Rights Watch Middle East director told a press conference.
In its response, Israel said it had ensured water infrastructure remained operational. It said international partners had sent water tankers through Israeli crossings, including last week, and ⁠Israel had facilitated the entry of more than 1.2 million tons of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
Human Rights Watch is the second major rights group in a month to use the word genocide to describe the actions of Israel in Gaza, after Amnesty International issued a report that concluded Israel was committing genocide.
Both reports came just weeks after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. They deny the allegations.
The 184-page Human Rights Watch report said the Israeli government stopped water being piped into Gaza and cut off electricity and restricted fuel which meant Gaza's own water and sanitation facilities could not be used.
As a result, Palestinians in Gaza had access to only a few liters of water a day in many areas, far below the 15-liter-threshold for survival, the group said. Israel launched its air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border 14 months ago, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's campaign has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the 2.3 million population and reduced much of the coastal enclave to ruins.