Military Forces Amass in Western Libya for Possible Confrontation with Haftar's LNA

LNA forces are seen headed to the southwestern region. (Screengrab from a video released by the infantry command)
LNA forces are seen headed to the southwestern region. (Screengrab from a video released by the infantry command)
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Military Forces Amass in Western Libya for Possible Confrontation with Haftar's LNA

LNA forces are seen headed to the southwestern region. (Screengrab from a video released by the infantry command)
LNA forces are seen headed to the southwestern region. (Screengrab from a video released by the infantry command)

The military continued to amass its forces in western Libya ahead of a possible clash with the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar.

The LNA has been moving forces to the southwest to “secure the borders and bolster national security,” it said.

Despite the assurances, all security and military forces in the west are on alert over the LNA’s mobilization. Military preparations have been reported in Misrata and Zawiya in anticipation of a possible clash with Haftar’s forces.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Friday it was monitoring “with concern the recent mobilization of forces in various parts of Libya, particularly in the southern and western regions.”

In a statement, it said: “We commend ongoing efforts to de-escalate the situation and prevent further tension.”

“The UNSMIL urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any provocative military actions that could be perceived as offensive and might jeopardize Libya’s fragile stability and the safety of its people. The Mission calls for continued communication and coordination between forces affiliated to the LNA and Government of National Unity (GNU),” it added.

“The Mission regrets that these developments coincide with the 84th anniversary of the foundation of Libya’s army and recalls the current division of this vital institution,” it noted.

“On this occasion, the Mission reminds all military and security actors of the importance of a unified, accountable, and professional military and security institutions. The Mission stands ready to facilitate dialogue towards that end and provide all technical expertise and support,” it went on to say.

Meanwhile, head of the Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi held talks in Tripoli on Thursday with some representatives of security forces in the western region.

His office said they expressed their “support for all of his further steps that aim to achieve stability in the western region.”

The GNU-aligned army command, Joint Operations Command and National Agency for Supporting Forces announced that they have raised the readiness of their forces in anticipation of “any danger”.

In an attempt to ease tensions, the LNA said its forces were mobilizing to secure the southern borders by intensifying desert patrols and monitoring the border.

The mobilization is at the order of Haftar as part of attempts to bolster border security and confront any threats that may target the safety and security of the nation, said the LNA command.

It added that forces have been dispatched to the cities of Sabha, Ghat, Ubari, Murzuq, al-Qatrun, Brak, al-Shati and Adiri where LNA forces are already deployed.

It stressed that the mobilization was ordered given the tensions in neighboring countries and the activity of extremist groups.

The High Council of State expressed its rejection of the “illegal” mobilization, saying it was a “blatant attempt to expand influence and control in a strategically vital region with neighboring countries.”

It warned that the mobilization may lead to armed conflict that undermines the ceasefire and efforts to unify the army, leading to the collapse of the political process.

It called on the Presidential Council, in its capacity as high commander of the army, “to raise the alert level of forces and prepare to confront any possible danger.”

It also urged the UNSMIL and international community to take a clear stance and condemn the mobilization.

Observers said Haftar was seeking through the mobilization to expand the LNA’s control over vital regions close to the Tunisian-Algerian border, including Ghadames airport.

They did not rule out the possibility of the eruption of clashes in the region in the coming days between the LNA and GNU forces.

Every side is trying to consolidate its forces through military allies in the region in order to seize control of Ghadames and its airport ahead of opening a new border-crossing that grants access to Africa, they noted.



Israeli Strike Kills Family of 10 in Gaza as UN Raises Alarm over Food Cutoff

Palestinians at the site of the destroyed building of Al Ahli Baptist hospital following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, 13 April 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians at the site of the destroyed building of Al Ahli Baptist hospital following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, 13 April 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Israeli Strike Kills Family of 10 in Gaza as UN Raises Alarm over Food Cutoff

Palestinians at the site of the destroyed building of Al Ahli Baptist hospital following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, 13 April 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians at the site of the destroyed building of Al Ahli Baptist hospital following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, 13 April 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Thursday killed at least 23 people, including a family of 10, local health officials said. The United Nations meanwhile raised alarm over the mounting impact of Israel’s six-week-old blockade preventing all food and other supplies from entering the territory.

Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas last month and renewed its bombardment, killing hundreds of people and seizing large parts of the territory to pressure the militants to accept changes to the agreement, The Associated Press said.

A strike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed five children, four women and a man from the same family, all of whom suffered severe burns, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Strikes in northern Gaza killed 13 people, including nine children, according to the Indonesian Hospital.

The Israeli military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because it operates in residential areas. There was no immediate comment on the latest strikes.

The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said that almost all of Gaza’s more than 2 million people now rely for food on the only 1 million prepared meals produced daily by charity kitchens supported by aid groups.

Other food distribution programs have shut down for lack of supplies, and the UN and other aid groups have been sending their remaining stocks to the charity kitchens.

The only other way to get food in Gaza is from markets. But most cannot afford to buy there because of spiraling prices and widespread shortages, meaning humanitarian aid is the primary food source for 80% of the population, the World Food Program said in its monthly report for April on Gaza’s markets.

“The Gaza Strip is now likely facing the worst humanitarian crisis in the 18 months since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023,” OCHA said.

Most people in Gaza are now down to one meal a day, said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council. “It’s far lower than what is needed,” she said.

Water is also growing scarce, with Palestinians standing in long lines to fill jerry cans from trucks. Omar Shatat, an official with a local water utility, said people are down to six or seven liters per day, well below the amount the UN estimates is needed to meet basic needs.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that preventing humanitarian aid is one of the “central pressure tactics” used against Hamas, which Israel accuses of siphoning off aid to maintain its rule.

Israel is demanding that Hamas release more hostages at the start of any new ceasefire and ultimately agree to disarm and leave the territory. Katz said that even afterward Israel will continue to occupy large “security zones” inside Gaza.

Hamas is currently holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. It says it will only return them in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting truce, as called for in the now-defunct ceasefire agreement reached earlier this year.

Hani Almadhoun, co-founder of Gaza Soup Kitchen, said his kitchen has food for about three more weeks.

“But food is loosely defined. We have pasta and rice but nothing much beyond that. No fresh produce. There is no chicken or beef. The only thing we have is canned meat,” he said. He said 15-20% of the people who come to his kitchen for food leave empty-handed.

The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel has rescued eight and recovered dozens of bodies.

Israel's offensive has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and most of its food production capabilities. The war has displaced around 90% of the population, with hundreds of thousands of people living in tent camps and bombed-out buildings.