Haftar Committed to Libya Ceasefire, to Join Berlin Conference

This image grab taken from a video obtained from Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army War Information Division's Facebook page on January 16, 2020, shows Haftar (R) greeting German Foreign Minister Minister Heiko Maas in Libya's second city of Benghazi. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / LNA War Information Division / AFP)
This image grab taken from a video obtained from Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army War Information Division's Facebook page on January 16, 2020, shows Haftar (R) greeting German Foreign Minister Minister Heiko Maas in Libya's second city of Benghazi. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / LNA War Information Division / AFP)
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Haftar Committed to Libya Ceasefire, to Join Berlin Conference

This image grab taken from a video obtained from Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army War Information Division's Facebook page on January 16, 2020, shows Haftar (R) greeting German Foreign Minister Minister Heiko Maas in Libya's second city of Benghazi. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / LNA War Information Division / AFP)
This image grab taken from a video obtained from Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army War Information Division's Facebook page on January 16, 2020, shows Haftar (R) greeting German Foreign Minister Minister Heiko Maas in Libya's second city of Benghazi. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / LNA War Information Division / AFP)

Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar is committed to a ceasefire, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday after three-hours of talks between them in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

"Haftar has signaled his readiness to contribute to the success of the Libya Conference in Berlin (on Sunday) and is willing to participate. He has repeated his commitment to observe the existing ceasefire," Maas said in a tweet sent by his ministry.

Germany invited the head of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj, through a phone call made by Maas on Wednesday. But he invited Haftar through a face-to-face meeting on Thursday.

There have been failed efforts by Russia and Turkey to persuade Haftar on a visit to Moscow this week to agree to a lasting ceasefire and halt his offensive on the Libyan capital Tripoli. Haftar left Moscow without signing the proposal.

The conference to be hosted by Germany on Sunday would bring together Haftar and Sarraj, and several foreign powers to try to end the offensive on Tripoli and resume talks on a power sharing deal.

Among those attending would be Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Wednesday for firm support for the peace talks and asked for a halt in the fighting.

In a report to the Security Council he urged all parties to "engage constructively towards that end, including within the Berlin process".

He also warned against "external interference", which he said would "deepen the ongoing conflict and further complicate efforts to reach a clear international commitment to a peaceful resolution of the underlying crisis".



Hezbollah Strikes Israeli Position over Ceasefire Breaches, Israel Vows ‘Strong’ Response

Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
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Hezbollah Strikes Israeli Position over Ceasefire Breaches, Israel Vows ‘Strong’ Response

Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

Hezbollah said it carried out a "defensive warning strike" on an Israeli military position in the disputed Shebaa Farms area on Monday, citing repeated Israeli ceasefire violations including airstrikes and shelling in Lebanon.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched two missiles but caused no casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would respond "strongly" to the strike.

Earlier, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli forces fired two artillery shells towards the southern Lebanese town of Beit Lif in the Bint Jbeil district, while heavy machine gun fire targeted Yaroun.

No injuries were reported in either incident, NNA said, but a separate Israeli strike injured others in the town of Talousa.

Lebanese authorities also said Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least two people on Monday as the ceasefire, which follows more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, appeared increasingly fragile.

Lebanon has accused Israel of committing at least 50 violations of the ceasefire.

The truce, which came into effect early on Nov. 27, stipulates that Israel will not carry out offensive military operations against civilian, military or other state targets in Lebanon, while Lebanon will prevent any armed groups, including Hezbollah, from carrying out operations against Israel.

Lebanon and Israel have already traded accusations of breaches, and on Monday Lebanon said the violations had turned deadly.

One person was killed in an Israeli air attack on the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun, about 10 km (6 miles) from Israel's northern border, Lebanon's health ministry said.

Lebanon's state security said an Israeli drone strike had killed a member of its force while he was on duty in Nabatieh, 12 km from the border. State security called it a "flagrant violation" of the truce.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli drone hit an army bulldozer in northeast Lebanon near the border with Syria, wounding one soldier.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to questions about the incidents in Marjayoun and Nabatieh.

It issued a statement saying it had attacked military vehicles operating near Hezbollah military infrastructure in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and military vehicles near the border with Syria.

The Israeli military acknowledged that a Lebanese soldier was wounded in one of its attacks and said the incident was under review.

Lebanon's parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah and Beirut's main interlocutor in the ceasefire talks, said Lebanon had logged at least 54 Israeli violations so far.

In a statement issued by his office, Berri urged the committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire to "urgently" begin work, and to "oblige" Israel to halt its violations and withdraw troops from Lebanese land.

The ceasefire deal stipulates that a monitoring mechanism hosted by the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon and chaired by the United States would "monitor, verify and assist in ensuring enforcement" of the ceasefire.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied that his country had breached the accord, saying the problem lay with Hezbollah moving weapons and crossing south of the Litani river, in defiance of last week's deal.

"Israel is committed to the successful implementation of the ceasefire, but we will not accept a return to the situation as it stood on October 6, 2023. If violations occur, Israel will enforce (the pact)," he said in a statement.

Public broadcaster Kan and other Israeli media outlets reported on Monday that US envoy Amos Hochstein, who brokered the ceasefire after weeks of shuttle diplomacy, had warned Israel against alleged violations.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that Israel must deal Hezbollah a "powerful blow" after he said it made a "big mistake" by firing at Israeli territory.