Western Powers, UN Express Concern over Intensifying Tripoli Fighting

A member of the LNA heads out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)
A member of the LNA heads out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)
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Western Powers, UN Express Concern over Intensifying Tripoli Fighting

A member of the LNA heads out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)
A member of the LNA heads out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)

The United States voiced on Sunday its “deep” concern over the fighting near Tripoli as the Libyan National Army (LNA) of commander Khalifa Haftar marched on the capital.

“We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by LNA forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He added that all parties involved have a responsibility to de-escalate the situation as announced by the UN Security Council and G7 group last week.

He urged Libyan factions to return to negotiations, saying that "there is no military solution to the Libya conflict."

The fighting has taken the United Nations by surprise and undermined plans to hold a national conference aimed at reaching agreement on a roadmap for elections to resolve the protracted instability in Libya.

UN envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, said the organization is determined to hold the planned conference on April 14-16.

The LNA announced its march west last week to eliminate remaining terrorist and criminal gangs from the region.

The United Nations said Monday 2,800 people had been displaced by clashes and many more could flee, though some were trapped.

LNA forces carried out air strikes on southern Tripoli on Sunday and made progress toward the city center, residents said.

The European Union joined the United Nations, United States and G7 bloc in calling for a ceasefire, a halt to Haftar's advance and return to political negotiations.

France said it had no prior warning of his push for Tripoli and denied it was secretly undermining the peace process, a diplomatic source said, according to Reuters.

A contingent of US forces evacuated at the weekend.

Forces with the Tripoli’s Government of National Accord have announced an operation to defend the capital called "Volcano of Anger".

Allied groups from Misrata along the coast have been moving pickup trucks fitted with machine guns into Tripoli.



Egypt’s Sisi Urges Trump to Exert All Efforts to End Gaza War, Get Aid into Enclave

Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)
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Egypt’s Sisi Urges Trump to Exert All Efforts to End Gaza War, Get Aid into Enclave

Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on US President Donald Trump on Monday to exert all efforts to end the war in Gaza and allow entry of humanitarian aid into the shattered Palestinian enclave.

Sisi and Trump have long enjoyed warm relations. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been mediating in search of ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas since the war broke out on October 7, 2023.

"I direct this special message to President Trump: Please, exert all efforts to end this war and allow the entry of aid," Sisi said in a televised speech. He added that Trump was one who was "capable of stopping the war."

The latest round of indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and Hamas broke off last week with no deal in sight as mediators struggle to bridge the gaps between the two sides.

Sisi said Egypt was working to ensure the entry of the largest possible volume of aid into Gaza over the past months, but coordination between Israel and Egypt was needed to do so.

"We cannot deny aid to the enclave, but for aid to get in, coordination with the other side is needed," Sisi said.

Aid trucks started moving towards Gaza from Egypt on Sunday after months of rising international pressure and warnings from humanitarian organizations of starvation spreading across the small, coastal Gaza Strip arising from an Israeli blockade.

Easing restrictions, Israel carried out an air drop and announced a series of measures over the weekend including daily humanitarian pauses in three areas of Gaza and new safe corridors for aid convoys.

But a long-term steady supply of aid is needed to counter the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza, UN aid agencies said on Monday.