GNA Interior Minister: Sarraj Held Secret Talks in Cairo

GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)
GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)
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GNA Interior Minister: Sarraj Held Secret Talks in Cairo

GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)
GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. (AFP)

Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) chief Fayez al-Sarraj recently made a secret trip to Egypt, revealed GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha.

Last week’s trip, which lasted only a few hours, saw him meet various Egyptian officials before he departed for Bahrain where he offered his condolences over the death of its prime minister, said Bashagha.

The minister, who had returned from France on an official visit, revealed that he had requested from Egyptian authorities that his recent trip to their country be open.

Bashagha is seeking to present himself as a successor to Sarraj. He has claimed that all police and security departments in western, eastern and southern Libya are affiliated with him administratively and financially. He has also boasted that he has been able to pay the salaries of 250,000 police personnel.

Separately, members of the Libyan parliament are preparing to meet in Morocco’s Tangiers to hold talks on uniting the legislative authorities in the country.

Libya is divided between an east-based legislature, headed by Speaker Aguila Saleh, and another based in the capital Tripoli in the west.

A delegation from the Tripoli parliament had arrived in Morocco ahead of the talks. It includes all members of the legislature.

Members of the east-based parliament were flown to Morocco onboard a plane chartered by Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar.

The Tangiers meeting will be followed by official talks inside Libya.



Hezbollah Orders Members to Stay Away from South Lebanon Amid Renewed Israeli Strikes

Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
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Hezbollah Orders Members to Stay Away from South Lebanon Amid Renewed Israeli Strikes

Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)

In the wake of renewed Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, Hezbollah has reportedly instructed its members and affiliates to avoid traveling to their hometowns in the south, including areas north and south of the Litani River.

The internal directive, aimed at minimizing Israeli targeting, prohibits movement to the region even for family visits or personal reasons, according to local sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The move comes as Israel resumed its targeted operations against Hezbollah after a week-long pause. The renewed strikes coincide with growing Lebanese calls to reactivate the ceasefire monitoring committee, following escalating tensions and violations.

On Thursday, two individuals were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement brokered last November. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health confirmed the fatalities.

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, an Israeli drone strike hit a vehicle on the Toul-Kfour highway in the Nabatieh district, killing one person and injuring two others. A second airstrike targeted a truck in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, leaving one person dead.

Israeli authorities have reiterated that they will continue to act against Hezbollah to “eliminate any threat” and prevent the group from reestablishing its military infrastructure. They have warned that strikes will continue unless Hezbollah is disarmed by the Lebanese state.

The latest attacks follow a series of five assassinations carried out last week, which Israel claimed targeted operatives involved in restoring Hezbollah’s combat and artillery capabilities in the south.

Since the November ceasefire, Israel has reportedly carried out nearly 3,600 violations, by land, sea, and air, resulting in 253 deaths and 559 injuries, according to official Lebanese data.

Ongoing Israeli operations have severely limited Hezbollah’s activity in both southern Lebanon and north of the Litani River. Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah issued a directive months ago prohibiting members, including fighters, from visiting southern areas, even for personal or family reasons, to avoid Israeli surveillance and targeting.