Libyan Parties Continue Ghadames Talks amid UN, US Optimism

Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)
Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)
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Libyan Parties Continue Ghadames Talks amid UN, US Optimism

Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)
Members of the Libyan Joint Military Commission pose for a photo in Ghadames, a desert oasis some 465 kilometers southwest of the capital Tripoli, on November 3. (AFP)

Rival Libyan military officers have agreed on a road map for implementing a ceasefire deal reached last month, UN acting envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams said Tuesday.

The announcement came after a meeting of a joint military commission to discuss the implementation of the deal opened Monday on home soil for the first time.

The sides agreed to "establish a military subcommittee to oversee the withdrawal of military forces to their respective bases and the departure of foreign forces from the front lines," Williams said.

The commission also decided to "meet in Sirte as soon as possible" and make the central coastal city its headquarters, Williams added.

Talks are taking place in the remote desert oasis of Ghadames, some 465 kilometers (290 miles) southwest of the capital Tripoli and near Libya's borders with both Algeria and Tunisia -- far from the power bases of either side.

Williams said that a meeting on reunifying the Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG) would be held on November 16 at the Brega terminal, while air links would be restored "immediately" with Ghadames and with Sebha in the south.

The commission also urged the UN Security Council to "quickly adopt a binding resolution to implement the Geneva ceasefire agreement", Williams added.

The talks coincided with a meeting in Morocco between representatives of the east-based parliament and High Council of State ahead of the Libyan Dialogue Forum scheduled for Tunisia on November 9.

Meanwhile, the United States’ embassy in Libya welcomed the “courageous efforts of Libyan participants in the Joint Military Commission (JMC) consultations in Ghadames to implement the October 23 ceasefire agreement, realize Libyan aspirations to de-escalate the conflict and begin to take concrete steps toward the ultimate departure of foreign forces and mercenaries.”

“This important trajectory will continue when a broad and representative group of Libyans gathers in Tunis beginning on November 9 for the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), which aims to finalize a roadmap to national elections through which all Libyans would exercise their sovereign and inalienable right to choose their future through democratic means,” it said in a statement.

“The Embassy is encouraged that the overwhelming majority of Libyans are working in good faith to seize these historic opportunities for Libya to restore its sovereignty and achieve a brighter future,” it continued.

“Regrettably, however, a small group of Libyans, in concert with certain external actors, is instead seeking to undermine the UN-facilitated dialogue, plunder Libya’s wealth, and prioritize personal ambitions over the well-being of the nation,” it stated.

“The Embassy stands with those Libyans who reject violence, oppose foreign manipulation, and come together in peaceful and patriotic dialogue. We remind those who would stand in the way of progress that they remain at risk of sanctions.”



Israeli Minister Hints at Annexing Parts of Gaza

Destroyed buildings lie in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Destroyed buildings lie in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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Israeli Minister Hints at Annexing Parts of Gaza

Destroyed buildings lie in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Destroyed buildings lie in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israel could threaten to annex parts of Gaza to increase pressure on the militant group Hamas, an Israeli minister said on Wednesday, an idea that would deal a blow to Palestinian hopes of statehood on land Israeli now occupies.

The comment by security cabinet member Zeev Elkin came a day after Britain said it would recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in Gaza and reaches a ceasefire in the war with Hamas, Reuters reported.

France, which said last week it will recognize a Palestinian state in September, and Saudi Arabia issued a declaration on Tuesday, also backed by Egypt, Qatar and the Arab League, outlining steps toward implementing a two-state solution. As part of an end to the Gaza war, they said Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority".

Israel has denounced moves to recognize a Palestinian state as rewarding Hamas for its October 2023 attack that precipitated the war.

POSSIBLE ULTIMATUM TO HAMAS

Accusing Hamas of trying to drag out ceasefire talks to gain Israeli concessions, Elkin told public broadcaster Kan that Israel may give the group an ultimatum to reach a deal before further expanding its military actions.

"The most painful thing for our enemy is losing lands," he said. "A clarification to Hamas that the moment they play games with us they will lose land that they will never get back would be a significant pressure tool."

Mediation efforts aimed at reaching a deal that would secure a 60-day ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas ground to a halt last week, with the sides trading blame for the impasse.

Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the situation in Gaza, where a global hunger monitor has warned that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding. The Gaza health ministry reported seven more hunger-related deaths on Wednesday, including a two-year-old girl with an existing health condition.