Libyan Army Announces Launching New Battalion for ‘Rapid Intervention’

Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Reuters
Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Reuters
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Libyan Army Announces Launching New Battalion for ‘Rapid Intervention’

Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Reuters
Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Reuters

The Libyan National Army (LNA) announced the establishment of a new battalion under the name of "rapid intervention" but did not specify its functions.

The army also continued to demine the city of Benghazi, east the country, and remove the corps of extremists after announcing its full control over the city last week.

Marshal Khalifa Haftar issued a decision on Monday to establish the battalion and appoint Lieutenant Colonel Emad al-Zwei as its commander, and he said it should follow the National Army's "control body.”

The decision did not specify the nature of the battalion and its tasks, but military sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that it comes within the framework of the army's readiness to move towards other Libyan cities to continue its operations to free them from the grip of extremist groups.

Meanwhile, the Libyan Red Crescent has recovered 17 corps of terrorists, who were killed during the army's battles to free the areas of Sidi Ekhrebish and the Benghazi’s municipal hotel.

Spokesman for the LNA special forces Colonel Miloud al-Zwei said that the city of Benghazi is already under control of the army, pointing out that one of the terrorists committed suicide Sunday evening in the Qawarsha area west of the city.

He said the Special Forces asked the terrorist to turn himself in voluntarily, but he resorted to bombing himself.

The death toll from booby traps and landmines planted by terrorists in Benghazi has amounted to 197 military and civilian personnel over the past year while 27 experts have been killed in an attempt to demine some areas of the clashes, according to a statistic presented by a military official on Monday.

Abdul Salam al-Massmari, commander of the military engineering faction of the army, said that the army’s general command issued instructions to launch an awareness campaign through the publication of posters and guidelines in the areas that were liberated from ISIS.

Army forces began a large-scale sweep of the fighting areas days after the army declared full control of Benghazi, knowing that Haftar has announced the liberation of the city in July after three years of fierce fighting.



Report: Israeli Foreign Minister Visiting Somaliland

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. (dpa file)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. (dpa file)
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Report: Israeli Foreign Minister Visiting Somaliland

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. (dpa file)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. (dpa file)

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is on a visit to Somaliland in East Africa, where he is due to meet the semi-autonomous region's president later ‌on Tuesday, ‌according ‌to ⁠a senior ‌Somaliland official.

A second source briefed on the visit confirmed the foreign minister was in Somaliland, without ⁠providing further details. The Israeli ‌foreign ministry ‍did not ‍immediately respond when asked ‍if the foreign minister was in Somaliland.

The visit comes 10 days after Israel formally recognized the self-declared ⁠Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, a move that sparked criticism from Somalia, which has long opposed Somaliland's bid to secede.


Israel Approves Upgrade to 4G Mobile Services to Palestinians in West Bank

 A man rides his bicycle at the Balata camp for Palestinian refugees, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on December 30, 2025. (AFP)
A man rides his bicycle at the Balata camp for Palestinian refugees, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on December 30, 2025. (AFP)
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Israel Approves Upgrade to 4G Mobile Services to Palestinians in West Bank

 A man rides his bicycle at the Balata camp for Palestinian refugees, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on December 30, 2025. (AFP)
A man rides his bicycle at the Balata camp for Palestinian refugees, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on December 30, 2025. (AFP)

Israel has approved an upgrade to fourth-generation (4G) mobile services for Palestinians in the West Bank, the Israeli Communications Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said the two Palestinian mobile operators - Jawwal and Ooredoo - and Swedish infrastructure firm Ericsson signed management agreements that were approved by Israel on Sunday.

Palestinian ‌cellular providers ‌launched high-speed data services ‌in ⁠the occupied ‌West Bank based on 3G in 2018, narrowing a technological gap with Israel after a lengthy Israeli ban on the operation of local 3G networks.

The ministry said its ⁠approval came as part of a ‌2022 framework deal between Israel ‍and the Palestinian ‍Authority aimed at allowing 4G and ‍5G cellular technologies. The agreement was delayed by the Gaza war, according to Israeli media, which also said the process to upgrade to 4G would take up to ⁠six months.

The Palestinian providers compete with Israeli cellular firms, which operate faster on much faster 5G mobile frequencies.

Israel is in the process of shutting down older 2G and 3G technologies and has advised the public to equip themselves with devices that support 4G and 5G.

In Gaza, ‌however, only 2G networks are available.


Foreign Media Group Slams Israel Govt for Refusing to Lift Gaza Press Ban

Palestinians walk past the debris of a collapsed house that was previously damaged by an Israeli strike, at the Maghazi refugee camp in the central of Gaza Strip on January 5, 2026. (AFP)
Palestinians walk past the debris of a collapsed house that was previously damaged by an Israeli strike, at the Maghazi refugee camp in the central of Gaza Strip on January 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Foreign Media Group Slams Israel Govt for Refusing to Lift Gaza Press Ban

Palestinians walk past the debris of a collapsed house that was previously damaged by an Israeli strike, at the Maghazi refugee camp in the central of Gaza Strip on January 5, 2026. (AFP)
Palestinians walk past the debris of a collapsed house that was previously damaged by an Israeli strike, at the Maghazi refugee camp in the central of Gaza Strip on January 5, 2026. (AFP)

An international media association on Tuesday criticized the Israeli government for maintaining its ban on unrestricted media access to Gaza, calling the move disappointing.

The government had told the Supreme Court in a submission late Sunday that the ban should remain in place, citing security risks in the Gaza Strip.

The submission was in response to a petition filed by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) -- which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and Palestinian territories -- seeking immediate and unrestricted access for foreign journalists to the Gaza Strip.

"The Foreign Press Association expresses its profound disappointment with the Israeli government's latest response to our appeal for full and free access to the Gaza Strip," the association said on Tuesday.

"Instead of presenting a plan for allowing journalists into Gaza independently and letting us work alongside our brave Palestinian colleagues, the government has decided once again to lock us out" despite the ceasefire in the territory, it added.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, triggered by an attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas, the government has barred foreign journalists from independently entering the devastated territory.

Instead, Israel has allowed only a limited number of reporters to enter Gaza on a case-by-case basis, embedded with its military inside the blockaded Palestinian territory.

The FPA filed its petition in 2024, after which the court granted the government several extensions to submit its response.

Last month, however, the court set January 4 as a final deadline for the government to present a plan for allowing media access to Gaza.

In its submission, the government maintained that the ban should remain in place.

"This is for security reasons, based on the position of the defense establishment, which maintains that a security risk associated with such entry still exists," the government submission said.

The government also said that the search for the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza was ongoing, suggesting that allowing journalists in at this stage could hinder the operation.

The remains of Ran Gvili, whose body was taken to Gaza after he was killed during Hamas's 2023 attack, have still not been recovered despite the ceasefire.

The FPA said it planned to submit a "robust response" to the court and expressed hope the "judges will put an end to this charade".

"The FPA is confident that the court will provide justice in light of the continuous infringement of the fundamental principles of freedom of speech, the public's right to know and free press," the association added.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the matter, though it is unclear when a decision will be handed down.