Libya’s GNA Says Retakes Tarhouna

A fighter loyal to Libya's GNA celebrates after regaining control over the city, in Tripoli, Libya, June 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ayman Al-Sahili
A fighter loyal to Libya's GNA celebrates after regaining control over the city, in Tripoli, Libya, June 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ayman Al-Sahili
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Libya’s GNA Says Retakes Tarhouna

A fighter loyal to Libya's GNA celebrates after regaining control over the city, in Tripoli, Libya, June 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ayman Al-Sahili
A fighter loyal to Libya's GNA celebrates after regaining control over the city, in Tripoli, Libya, June 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ayman Al-Sahili

The Government of National Accord (GNA) announced Friday taking over Tarhouna, 90 kilometers southeast of the Libyan capital Tripoli, the last western stronghold of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

"Our heroic forces have extended their control over the whole of Tarhouna," said GNA spokesman Mohamad Gnounou.

The GNA said Thursday that its forces regained control of all of Tripoli's entrance and exit points after taking back the airport.

GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj vowed that his government would impose its control over the whole of Libya.

"Our fight continues,” said Sarraj who is backed by Turkey.

Late Thursday, LNA chief Khalifa Haftar's spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari confirmed his forces' "redeployment" away from the capital after more than a year of sometimes intense fighting.

He said the redeployment was a "humanitarian gesture intended to spare the Libyan people further bloodshed".

US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland expressed hope that the intensified diplomatic activity and the case-fire talks, announced this week by the UN, could help the sides reach an agreement.

“What makes it different now is that the escalation is in such a dangerous stage that cooler heads can and should prevail,” he told reporters on Thursday.



Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza Strip as New Ceasefire Talks Begin

A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
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Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza Strip as New Ceasefire Talks Begin

A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
A Palestinian woman reacts at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

An Israeli military strike killed 12 people in a house in Gaza City early on Saturday, bringing the death toll from strikes across Gaza to 62 over the last day, Palestinian medics said, as mediators launched a new ceasefire push in Qatar.

Residents and medics said at least 14 people had been in the house of the Al-Ghoula family when the strike took place in the early hours, destroying the building, Reuters reported.

People scoured the rubble for possible survivors trapped under the debris and medics said several children were among those killed. A few flames and trails of smoke continued to rise from burning furniture in the ruins hours after the attack.

"At about 2 a.m. (00:00 GMT) we were woken up by the sound of a huge explosion," said Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbour of the Al-Ghoula family, adding that 14 or 15 people had been staying in the house.

"Most of them are women and children, they are all civilians, there is no one there who shot missiles, or is from the resistance," Ayyan told Reuters.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident.

The military said in a statement on Saturday that its forces had continued their operations this week in Beit Hanoun town in the northern edge of the enclave, where the army has been operating for three months, and had destroyed a military complex that had been used by Hamas.

Later on Saturday, an Israeli airstrike killed three people in a car east of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, medics said. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in strikes on Friday, bringing the death toll during the past 24 hours to 62, health officials said.

A surge in Israeli operations and the number of Palestinians killed in recent days comes amid a renewed push to reach a ceasefire in the 15-month-old war and return Israeli hostages before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Israeli mediators were dispatched to resume talks in Doha brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and US President Joe Biden's administration, which is helping to broker the talks, urged Hamas on Friday to agree to a deal.

Hamas said it was committed to reaching an agreement but it was unclear how close the two sides were.