Moscow Reiterates Need for ‘Historic Decision’ to End Libya Conflict

Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala speaks at the Eastern Mediterranean Workshop in Antalya, Turkey on 7 December 2020. [Orhan Çiçek - Anadolu Agency]
Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala speaks at the Eastern Mediterranean Workshop in Antalya, Turkey on 7 December 2020. [Orhan Çiçek - Anadolu Agency]
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Moscow Reiterates Need for ‘Historic Decision’ to End Libya Conflict

Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala speaks at the Eastern Mediterranean Workshop in Antalya, Turkey on 7 December 2020. [Orhan Çiçek - Anadolu Agency]
Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala speaks at the Eastern Mediterranean Workshop in Antalya, Turkey on 7 December 2020. [Orhan Çiçek - Anadolu Agency]

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his counterpart in the Government of National Accord (GNA) Mohamed Siala discussed in Moscow on Wednesday the developments in Libya and the prospects of a political settlement.

Lavrov reiterated the need for Libyans to make a historic decision for national reconciliation and building their country, saying Russia is keen on helping Libya resolve its problems.

The Russian FM indicated that he and his Libyan counterpart also discussed the international community’s efforts in supporting Libyans.

Commenting on the role of Cairo, Siala asserted: "The visit of the Egyptian delegation (to Libya) came very late."

He was referring to the visit of Egyptian diplomats and intelligence officials last week.

"I invite the parties who believe that the solution to the Libyan crisis has to be military to reconsider their stances, support the implementation of the peaceful solution, and help end the presence of foreign fighters," Siala said.

He also announced that his country has asked Russia’s help in evacuating foreign fighters from the country.

He also stressed that the GNA is responsible for the security and stability of the capital, Tripoli, saying: "We hope that no party will attempt to inflame the war again in Libya."

In the meantime, GNA’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Omar Maiteeq hailed an agreement by Libyan parties to resort to dialogue in solving the country’s crisis.

Determining a date for the elections is also a significant success, he said.

In an interview with Sputnik, he pointed out that the recent visit of the Egyptian delegation is the first of its kind in more than seven years.

During their meetings, Libyan and Egyptian officials discussed boosting ties, Maiteeq said.



Israeli Troops Battle Palestinian Fighters in Gaza City of Khan Younis

 Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Troops Battle Palestinian Fighters in Gaza City of Khan Younis

 Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Israeli troops battled Palestinian fighters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza and destroyed tunnels and other infrastructure, as they sought to suppress small militant units that have continued to hit troops with mortar fire, the military said on Friday.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said troops had killed around 100 Palestinian fighters since Israeli troops began their latest operation in Khan Younis on Monday, which continued as pressure mounted for a deal to halt the fighting.

It said seven small units that had been firing mortars at the troops were hit in an air strike, while further south, in Rafah, four fighters were also killed in air strikes.

The Islamic Jihad armed wing said it fired rockets toward the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon and other Israeli towns near Gaza. No casualties were reported, the Israeli ambulance service said.

The continued fighting, more than nine months since the start of Israel's invasion of Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack, underlined the difficulty the IDF has had in eliminating fighters who have reverted to a form of guerrilla warfare in the ruins of the coastal strip.

A Telegram channel operated by the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two main militant groups in Gaza, said fighters had been waging fierce battles with Israeli troops east of Khan Younis with machine guns, mortars and anti-tank weapons.

Medics said at least six Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in eastern Khan Younis.

US PRESSURE

US President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, both urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a proposed ceasefire deal as soon as possible.

However there has been no clear sign of movement in talks to end the fighting and bring home some 115 Israeli and foreign hostages still being held in Gaza. Public statements from Israel and Hamas appear to indicate that serious differences remain between the two sides.

Local residents contacted by messenger app, said Israeli tanks had pushed into three towns to the east of Khan Younis, Bani Suhaila, Al-Zanna and Al-Karara and blew up several houses in some residential districts.

The military said air force jets hit around 45 targets, including tunnels and two launch pads from which rockets were fired into Beersheba in southern Israel.

Even while the fighting continued around Khan Younis and Rafah in the south, in the northern part of the enclave, Israeli tanks pushed into the Tel Al-Hawa suburb west of Gaza city, residents said.

A Hamas Telegram channel said fighters targeted an Israeli tank in Tal Al-Hawa and shot an Israeli soldier.

Medics said two Palestinians were also killed in an air strike in western Gaza city.

More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.

Israeli officials estimate that some 14,000 fighters from armed groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have been killed or taken prisoner, out of a force they estimated to number more than 25,000 at the start of the war.