Libya: Water Outage in Tripoli

A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)
A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)
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Libya: Water Outage in Tripoli

A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)
A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)

The Great Man-Made River Project Authority announced water outage in Tripoli and other cities in the western and central region after armed men assaulted its electricity station, blocking the water flow.

In a statement, the authorities said that an armed group stormed the main electricity station and obliged the technicians there to cut off the electricity supply to Hasnawa wells fields in the backdrop of demands of fair outage hours of electricity in the south as in other regions.

After negotiations with the group, the electrical current was back and work is currently ongoing to charge the electricity stations to operate wells again, added the statement. Gradual arrival of water to Tripoli is expected by Friday.

The authority demanded the security and military bodies to hold responsibility of protecting Hasnawa wells fields.

Meanwhile, the Government of National Accord, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, declared that dozens of prisoners in Mitiga prison were released. Spokesman of the Presidential Council (PC) head Mohammed Al-Sallak confirmed Wednesday the release of 83 prisoners from the prison of Mitiga in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General.

The 7th Brigade, part of the latest clashes in Tripoli, announced that officers of its operations' chamber opened channels for communication with relevant parties in Tripoli in order to freeze all military actions.

Sarraj government revealed that a new agreement to confirm the ceasefire in Tripoli was signed between representatives of Tripoli and Tarhuna.



Palestinian Groups Hamas and Fatah Discuss Post-Gaza Plans

15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)
15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)
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Palestinian Groups Hamas and Fatah Discuss Post-Gaza Plans

15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)
15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)

Leaders from Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement discussed plans for cooperation after the war in Gaza in a new round of talks in Cairo on Wednesday, a Hamas official told Reuters.

The talks are the first since the two groups met in China in July and agreed steps to form a Palestinian unity government for Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

They are also part of long-running and previously unsuccessful efforts to heal a schism that hardened when Hamas seized control of Gaza in a brief conflict with Fatah in 2007.

The Hamas delegation is led by Khalil Al-Hayya, the group's Qatar-based second-in-command and chief negotiator, Hamas media official Taher Al-Nono said.

A Palestinian official said the Fatah delegation was led by Fatah's second-in-command, Mahmoud Al-Aloul. There was no immediate comment from Fatah.

"The meeting will discuss the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the challenges facing the Palestinian cause," Nono said.

The issue of the administration of Gaza after the end of the year-old Israel-Hamas war is one of the thorniest issues facing the Palestinians.

Israel, which began its military campaign to wipe out Hamas in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, has ruled out the group's inclusion in a post-war administration.

It says it also does not trust the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority, which partially governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to do the job.

The Palestinian factions say their post-war plans are an internal affair, and reject Israeli conditions.