Libya Central Bank Governor: Oil Blockade is ‘Bullet in the Head’

FILE PHOTO: Members of forces loyal to Haftar guard near Libya's El Sharara oilfield in Obari,Libya, February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer
FILE PHOTO: Members of forces loyal to Haftar guard near Libya's El Sharara oilfield in Obari,Libya, February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer
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Libya Central Bank Governor: Oil Blockade is ‘Bullet in the Head’

FILE PHOTO: Members of forces loyal to Haftar guard near Libya's El Sharara oilfield in Obari,Libya, February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer
FILE PHOTO: Members of forces loyal to Haftar guard near Libya's El Sharara oilfield in Obari,Libya, February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

A blockade of major Libyan oil ports is damaging the economy and must be quickly resolved, the Tripoli-based central bank governor told Reuters on Friday.

"Now oil represents 93-95 percent of total revenue and covers 70 percent of total spending. This is a bullet in the head, that will hurt Libya and the Libyan people," Sadiq al-Kabir said in an interview in London. "We really hope the crisis is resolved as fast as possible because it hurts everyone."

The head of the Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, has warned of catastrophe if the week-long blockade by the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar, which has cut oil output to almost zero, is not lifted.

Previously, oil production was 1.2 million barrels a day.



Five Injured in Israeli Drone Strike in Southern Lebanon

File photo: Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP)
File photo: Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP)
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Five Injured in Israeli Drone Strike in Southern Lebanon

File photo: Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP)
File photo: Smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil during Israeli bombardment. (AFP)

An Israeli drone strike targeted at dawn on Friday a gas station in southern Lebanon and injured five individuals.

The gas station located along the road leading to the town of Hula in southern Lebanon was hit with three missiles and left five people injured, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.

Despite a November 27 ceasefire that sought to halt more than a year of conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, Israel has continued to conduct near-daily strikes in Lebanon.

The Israeli military has said it was behind other attacks that it said killed Hezbollah members.