عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Libyans Demand Lebanon Release Hannibal Gaddafi

Hannibal Gaddafi. (EPA
Hannibal Gaddafi. (EPA
TT
TT

Libyans Demand Lebanon Release Hannibal Gaddafi

Hannibal Gaddafi. (EPA
Hannibal Gaddafi. (EPA

Libyan and Tunisian activists said that they have urged international and African organizations to act immediately to release Hannibal al-Gaddafi, son of late President Moammar Gaddafi, who has been detained in Lebanon for four years.

Hannibal is being held “on charges of concealing information about the disappearance of the founder of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, Imam Musa al-Sadr, during his visit to Libya in August 1978, at the invitation of his father, Moammar Gaddafi."

"The Arab League for Hannibal" said Thursday that it handed Human Rights Watch a memorandum regarding Hannibal and all prisoners and detainees of the former regime. It added that it had dispatched a delegation to Tunisia earlier this week to hand the African Union Commission, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and human rights and humanitarian missions a memorandum regarding "the imprisonment of Hannibal Gaddafi, and the other figures symbols of the former regime who had been arrested wrongfully, oppressively and unjustly."

Russia had intervened to demand Hannibal’s release amid other intensified efforts to resolve the issue and allow him to rejoin his Lebanese wife Aline Skaff and three children who used to live with him Damascus where he was kidnapped and taken to Lebanon.

A source close to Gaddafi's family was puzzled by what he called “improvisations” of laws in Lebanon. He told Asharq al-Awsat that investigation authorities there “did not provide any evidence of Hannibal’s involvement in the Sadr case, and it became clear to them that he was a young child at the time, yet they insist on keeping him prisoner. He demanded his immediate release.

The delegation sent to Tunisia was headed by Bechir Essid, the head of the defense of Hannibal and the Libyan detainees. The League pointed out that the concerned organizations "showed great understanding of what was in the memo”.

Hannibal’s defense team stressed that "no crime under the category of concealment of information could be validated against him, given that he was less than two-years-old. It revealed that Hannibal first learned of the crime in 1997 while he was on vacation in Morocco.

Besides Hannibal, who was arrested in Lebanon, his brother Al-Saadi is still being held in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The Gaddafi family had previously threatened to file lawsuits, locally and internationally, demanding the release of their son. It held the “concerned authorities” that are detaining him responsible for his safety, charging that he has been "tortured and denied medical treatment.”

In April 2018, a court in Tripoli acquitted Al-Saadi of the charge of killing player and coach of the Al-Ittihad football team, Bashir Al-Rayani. Despite the verdict, he remains in al-Hadba prison, despite pledges from Tripoli authorities that he will be released.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Yemen's STC to Dissolve Itself

Soldiers are seen outside the headquarters of the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, Yemen. (Reuters)
Soldiers are seen outside the headquarters of the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, Yemen. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Yemen's STC to Dissolve Itself

Soldiers are seen outside the headquarters of the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, Yemen. (Reuters)
Soldiers are seen outside the headquarters of the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, Yemen. (Reuters)

Yemen's Southern Transitional Council and its institutions will be dismantled effective Friday.

The move paves the way for participation in the southern Yemen dialogue that will be hosted by Riyadh.

In a statement, members of the STC said the council had not achieved its desired goals. They added that they did not take part in the decision to carry out unilateral military moves in the eastern Hadhramaut and al-Mahra governorates.

They said the actions there had "harmed the Southern Cause."

Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami, also known as Abou Zaraa, and PLC member Ahmed Said bin Braik were present at the STC meeting.

The statement called on various officials and figures to join the dialogue, hoping that the Riyadh conference would "come up with a vision to resolve the Southern Cause."

It also expressed its gratitude to Saudi Arabia for hosting the conference.

Arab World

Hundreds in Somalia’s Capital Protest Israel’s Recognition of Breakaway Territory of Somaliland

People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Hundreds in Somalia’s Capital Protest Israel’s Recognition of Breakaway Territory of Somaliland

People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Somalia’s capital to protest Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, waving Somali flags and chanting patriotic songs in a show of national unity.

The protest on Thursday night took place at Taleh Square in downtown Mogadishu, where the crowds condemned Israel’s move as a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity in the east African country. Demonstrators carried placards rejecting what they described as foreign interference in Somalia’s internal affairs.

The rally came two weeks after Israel announced that it recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign nation — and two days after Israel’s foreign minister visited Hargeisa, the Somaliland capital. On his visit, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that Israel would soon open an embassy and appoint an ambassador.

Thursday night's demonstration was the third such event since Israel recognized Somaliland on Dec. 26.

“We are protesting against the division of our country,” demonstrator Said Gedi said. “This is against the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Somalia, and we hope Somalia will stand united.”

Another protester, Abdirahman Abdulkadir, said that the demonstration was meant to send a message of unity.

“Somalia cannot be divided,” he said. “We are united by one religion, one culture and the same heritage.”

The demonstration coincided with a televised address by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who strongly rejected Israel’s decision and urged dialogue between Somaliland’s leaders and the federal government in Mogadishu.

“I want to make it clear once again that the Republic of Somalia is a sovereign and united country,” Mohamud said. “Its territory cannot be divided or ceded by any letter written by Israel or signed by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu.”

Mohamud warned that the dispute could undermine Somalia’s political stability, economic recovery and development if not handled carefully. He urged Somaliland’s leadership to aim for talks, saying successful secessions elsewhere usually happened through political agreements. He cited examples including South Sudan, which became independent of Sudan in 2011.

Israel has no historical, cultural or economic ties with Somalia, he said.

Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the central government. Despite maintaining its own institutions and relative stability, it had never been recognized by a UN member state.

More than 20 mostly Middle Eastern or African countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation rejected Israel’s move.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday that Israeli recognition of Somaliland was a “dangerous precedent that threatens regional and international peace and security.”

US and Israeli officials told The Associated Press last year that Israel had approached Somaliland about taking in Palestinians from Gaza as part of US President Donald Trump’s plan at the time to resettle the territory’s population. Somalia's foreign ministry says such a proposal has neither been discussed nor considered.

Washington has since abandoned that plan, and the US State Department says it continues to recognize the territorial integrity of Somalia, “which includes the territory of Somaliland.”

Arab World

Israel Casts Doubt on Hezbollah Disarmament South of the Litani

A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)
A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Israel Casts Doubt on Hezbollah Disarmament South of the Litani

A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)
A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)

Israel on Thursday voiced skepticism over the Lebanese Army’s announcement that its plan to seize weapons from southern Lebanon has reached an advanced stage, calling the effort insufficient.

The reaction came even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the move as an “encouraging beginning,” while reiterating accusations that Hezbollah is rearming with Iranian support.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said the efforts by the Lebanese government and army to disarm Hezbollah amount to “a promising start, but absolutely not enough.”

It accused the group of attempting to rebuild its military infrastructure with backing from Iran, stressing that the US-brokered ceasefire agreement clearly calls for Hezbollah’s complete disarmament.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry echoed this skepticism, saying Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River remains intact and that the goal of disarming the group in southern Lebanon “is still far from being achieved.”

The ministry described the Lebanese Army’s efforts as limited, repeating claims that Hezbollah continues to rearm with Iranian assistance.

The Israeli security establishment adopted a sharper tone. Army Radio quoted military sources as saying statements by the Lebanese Army about disarmament in the south “do not reflect reality on the ground,” asserting that Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure are still present south of the Litani.

A military source told Haaretz that Israel’s assessment of the disarmament process “is not based on declarations, but on data and operational results,” adding that as long as Hezbollah’s military structures remain in place, there can be no talk of genuine disarmament.

Yedioth Ahronoth, citing military sources, reported that the Lebanese announcement had been expected and that Israel is inclined to reject claims that the area south of the Litani has been effectively disarmed.

According to the paper, the Israeli army believes Hezbollah still maintains combat capabilities there, describing the Lebanese Army’s performance as slow and partial, despite reaching sites where it was tasked with collecting Hezbollah weapons.

Lebanese parliamentary sources said Israel’s skeptical stance comes as no surprise. MP Mohammed Khawaja, of the Development and Liberation bloc, warned that Israeli threats against Lebanon “have not stopped and continue through its media,” stressing that the danger is aimed at all Lebanese, not a specific group or faction.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Khawaja said Israel is openly threatening the region and that Lebanon has long been part of its ambitions.

MP Waddah Al-Sadek said Netanyahu’s recent remarks suggest that, from Israel’s perspective, the continuation of the ceasefire is now conditional on Hezbollah’s full disarmament.

He argued that Israel’s description of Lebanese efforts as encouraging but inadequate may be a sign that an escalation could happen in the future despite assurances from Lebanon’s leaders and army command of their commitment to the ceasefire.

In Israel’s view, he said, such commitments are meaningless without concrete measures and a clear timetable for disarmament, conditions that risk providing Israel with justification for further escalation.