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Thousands Attend Burial of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi

Thousands of Libyans surround an ambulance carrying the coffin of Seif al-Islam, son of former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, in Bani Walid city, Libya, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP)
Thousands of Libyans surround an ambulance carrying the coffin of Seif al-Islam, son of former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, in Bani Walid city, Libya, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP)
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Thousands Attend Burial of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi

Thousands of Libyans surround an ambulance carrying the coffin of Seif al-Islam, son of former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, in Bani Walid city, Libya, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP)
Thousands of Libyans surround an ambulance carrying the coffin of Seif al-Islam, son of former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, in Bani Walid city, Libya, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP)

Thousands turned out on Friday for the burial of the slain son of former Libyan ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi in a town that still holds allegiance to the late longtime leader. 

Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, once seen by some as Libya's heir apparent, was shot dead in his home in the northwestern city of Zintan on Tuesday. 

His burial in the town of Bani Walid, some 175 kilometers (110 miles) south of Tripoli, brought together thousands of Gaddafi loyalists, nearly 15 years after the ruler was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising. 

Libya has struggled to recover from chaos that erupted since. It remains split between Abdelhamid Dbeibah's Government of National Unity based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar. 

Dbeibah condemned the killing, saying that "assassinations never provide stability... but rather deepen division". 

His interior ministry had announced that it would "ensure the security of the funeral" in the town of some 100,000 people. 

Each year, Bani Walid celebrates the anniversary of a 1969 coup that brought Gaddafi to power, with people parading through the streets with portraits of the ex-leader and Libya's green flag from before the uprising. 

Ahead of the burial on Friday, locals also carried those portraits and flags while chanting pro-Gaddafi slogans and declaring that "the martyrs' blood will not be shed in vain". 

Marcel Ceccaldi, a French lawyer who had been representing Seif al-Islam, told AFP a "four-man commando" killed him. 

Authorities said they were probing his death as the assailants remained at large. 

Saadi Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam's younger brother, said his dead sibling would be buried "next to his brother Khamis Gaddafi", who was killed during the 2011 unrest. 

Under his father's 40-year rule, Seif al-Islam was described as the de facto prime minister, cultivating an image of moderation and reform despite holding no official position. 

But that reputation soon collapsed when he promised "rivers of blood" in retaliation for the 2011 uprising. 

He was arrested that year on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, and a Tripoli court sentenced him to death, although he was later granted amnesty. 

In 2021 he announced he would run for president, but the elections were indefinitely postponed. 

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Arab World

Lebanese President Pins Hopes on Rome Talks to Secure Israeli Withdrawal

Aoun receives former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag and a delegation from the University of Balamand. (Lebanese Presidency)
Aoun receives former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag and a delegation from the University of Balamand. (Lebanese Presidency)
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Lebanese President Pins Hopes on Rome Talks to Secure Israeli Withdrawal

Aoun receives former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag and a delegation from the University of Balamand. (Lebanese Presidency)
Aoun receives former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag and a delegation from the University of Balamand. (Lebanese Presidency)

Hours before the sixth round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Rome on Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun hoped that the two-day talks will produce tangible progress on the ground, starting with an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to areas vacated by Israeli forces.

The Lebanese delegation heads into the talks seeking to move from the framework agreement with Israel to the implementation phase, while Hezbollah has intensified its criticism of both the government and the accord, saying it undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty and targets the party itself.

Lebanon is pressing for the prompt launch of the “pilot zones” outlined in the agreement. Sources familiar with the negotiations told Asharq Al-Awsat that US-led efforts, through a delegation that arrived in Beirut from Israel on Saturday, to initiate an Israeli withdrawal from pilot areas remain active and should not be considered stalled.

“We are still awaiting signs that such a step can be achieved before Tuesday’s talks in Rome,” the sources said, adding that contacts are continuing until the last minute in hopes of securing an Israeli withdrawal from one or two villages before negotiations begin.

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Israel would withdraw from Western Zawtar, Eastern Zawtar, and several other villages.

Ministerial sources said the Lebanese delegation includes Ambassador Simon Karam, Ambassador Nada Mouawad, and retired Brig. Gen. Ziad Haykal, a member of Aoun’s advisory team.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa will not attend.

The talks will focus on mechanisms for implementing the framework agreement, establishing a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal, and launching the pilot zones through the deployment of the Lebanese Army as a prelude to reconstruction.

The framework agreement sets out broad principles for resolving the situation in southern Lebanon, including an Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, and reconstruction. However, it does not include a binding implementation timetable, one of the main points of contention.

During meetings on Monday, Aoun said national unity was Lebanon’s “strongest weapon” and urged political leaders to “speak with one Lebanese voice,” stressing that loyalty should be to the nation rather than personal interests.

He vowed not to compromise on southern Lebanon or the country’s rights, saying the framework agreement calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and includes an Israeli commitment that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.

Aoun argued that war had failed to bring security or stability and said diplomacy aims to achieve objectives broadly supported by Lebanese citizens, foremost among them an Israeli withdrawal, the return of displaced residents, the release of detainees and the remains of the dead, and the launch of reconstruction.

He said he would discuss ways to pressure Israel to implement the framework agreement during his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington.

As preparations for the Rome talks continued, Hezbollah stepped up its attacks on the Lebanese government and the framework agreement, arguing that it fails to safeguard Lebanon’s sovereignty, links ending the occupation to the issue of the group’s weapons, and grants Israel political gains it failed to achieve during the war.

MP Ali Al-Moqdad, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, called for the agreement to be abandoned, describing it as “an agreement of humiliation and disgrace” that betrays the sacrifices of those killed, wounded, and displaced.

Arab World

Jordan Shoots Down 4 Rockets Fired by Iran as Sirens Sound in Bahrain

A view of Amman, Jordan. (Petra file)
A view of Amman, Jordan. (Petra file)
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Jordan Shoots Down 4 Rockets Fired by Iran as Sirens Sound in Bahrain

A view of Amman, Jordan. (Petra file)
A view of Amman, Jordan. (Petra file)

The Jordanian military announced on Tuesday that air defenses shot down four rockets fired from Iran. No injuries or material damage was reported.

Iran has intensified its attacks on US allies in the region in retaliation to the latest American strikes against it.

Meanwhile, sirens sounded in Bahrain three times as Iran targeted the country.

In Jordan, an official military source said the armed forces intercepted and downed four missiles that had entered the kingdom’s airspace at dawn, saying they were fired by Iran.

The interception was carried out with high efficiency in line with procedures to protect the kingdom's sovereignty and security and safety of its people.

The source stressed that any attempt to violate the kingdom’s sovereignty or its airspace will be met with “complete firmness within the reliable rules of engagement” to safeguard the national interest.

“The armed forces will not be lenient in taking all necessary measures to protect the nation and defend its security and stability,” it declared.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said it targeted a “US air base” in Jordan with ballistic missiles.

Jordan had last Thursday intercepted eight rockets fired by Iran. The IRGC also claimed the attack was targeting an American military base.

Jordan has repeatedly said it does not host foreign bases on its territories. Any foreign troops in the country are deployed at Jordanian bases as part of joint agreements and training programs.

In April, Jordan said it had been targeted by 281 rockets and drones fired by Iran during the US-Israel war against Tehran that started on February 28. It said that it had intercepted 261 of the attacks, which had resulted in 30 injuries.

Arab World

Al-Hijri Renews Call for Sweida’s ‘Independence’ from Syria

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, flanked by supporters from the so-called National Guard. (Suwayda24)
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, flanked by supporters from the so-called National Guard. (Suwayda24)
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Al-Hijri Renews Call for Sweida’s ‘Independence’ from Syria

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, flanked by supporters from the so-called National Guard. (Suwayda24)
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, flanked by supporters from the so-called National Guard. (Suwayda24)

The spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, renewed calls Monday for what he described as Sweida’s “independence,” saying the southern province could eventually become “an autonomous entity under another state’s protection or join another state.”

His remarks coincided with the first anniversary of the July 2025 clashes in Sweida.

A local source in Sweida opposed to al-Hijri’s policies rejected the proposal, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that residents “have no state but Syria, despite the country’s current hardships.”

The source added that neither Israel nor Jordan supports such a move, noting that Israeli officials have publicly stated they do not back Sweida’s secession and that “the overwhelming majority of residents will not abandon their Syrian identity.”

Areas under al-Hijri’s influence have hosted gatherings in recent days to commemorate last July’s clashes, which killed hundreds of Bedouin residents, Druze faction fighters, civilians, and members of the army and security forces.

The source said the events reflected widespread grief, as most families had suffered deaths, injuries, or displacement, stressing that the commemorations were intended to honor the victims rather than press for secession.

On Sunday, al-Hijri met representatives of the Shahba Operations Room, affiliated with the so-called National Guard, in the town of Qanawat.

In widely circulated video footage, he said the goal was “the independence of Bashan State,” adding that this could take the form of an independent state, a region under another country’s protection, or union with another state, “whichever best serves the interests of the people of the region.”

He also thanked Israel, saying it had stood by Sweida and citing its geographic proximity.

The Sweida Governorate issued a statement marking the anniversary, describing the July events as a tragedy that left lasting scars on the province and on Syrians as a whole.

Maysaa al-Abdallah, a resident of Sweida, told Asharq Al-Awsat that many families remain displaced a year later, with 135 people still missing and civilians still detained at Adra Prison near Damascus.

She also said that, of roughly 14,000 middle- and high-school students eligible to sit for national exams, only a very small number had been able to do so.

While most residents still identify as Syrian and Arab, she argued that “government policies are pushing many to reject that identity.”