Egypt, Libya Establish ‘New Phase’ of Cooperation

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AFP)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AFP)
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Egypt, Libya Establish ‘New Phase’ of Cooperation

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AFP)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (AFP)

Libya and Egypt entered a new phase of cooperation after Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly visited Tripoli at the head of a high-ranking delegation.

Madbouly discussed with his Libyan counterpart, Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, regional and international issues of common interest, and emphasized the importance of intensifying coordination and political consultation on various issues.

They stressed the importance of protecting Libya's sovereignty over its territory, its political unity, and its independence.

Egypt and Libya signed a number of memorandums including one on the resumption of civilian flights between the two countries, after six years of suspension.

"I instructed the [Egyptian] Aviation Ministry to immediately allow receiving planes from Libyan cities at Cairo Airport," Madbouli said at a press conference.

The statement stressed that the Presidential Council and the Government of National Unity (GNU) are the only legitimate executive authority in Libya.

The two sides also intend to exchange experience, emphasizing that the solution to political problems can only be achieved through peaceful political methods approved by the relevant international and local political conventions.

The statement also stressed the role of Egypt and its constructive contributions in controlling joint security and stability in a way that guarantees the territorial integrity of the two sides.

The statement called for trade and economic exchange between the countries, including facilitating the movement of goods.

The two officials also stressed the importance of holding the 11th session of the Higher Joint Egyptian-Libyan Committee and completing the procedures for the cooperation agreements between the two countries, the statement revealed.

They called for activating and amending previous deals on joint investments, by giving more concessions and procedural facilities for development projects of current and future joint ventures.

The two officials signed an MoU to facilitate the return of Egyptian workers to Libya.

The two delegations also decided to form a joint working group of agriculture and marine specialists, to open sea lines for passengers and freight between the ports of the two countries.

The statement called for the establishment of an information system and a common database for combating terrorism. This will lead to monitoring, follow-up, and exchange of information on terror, in addition to enumerating terrorist elements in the two countries and preparing a unified directory of wanted and suspected extremists.

The two countries will also establish security and checkpoints along the land and sea borders, form joint forces to combat terrorism, and mobilize against terror financing.

It was also decided to monitor financial transactions, funding of charities, and work to establish a joint body to combat money laundering, organized crime, and undocumented migration.

During the meeting, a number of MoUs were signed to consolidate the relations between the two countries in transportation, infrastructure, health, electricity, and communications.



Death Trap in Gaza Will Scar Generations

Photograph taken inside Nasser Hospital, after a siege by the Israeli forces. At the end of January, the Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for the entire area and surrounded the hospital, which found itself at the center of intense fighting for several weeks. (MSF)
Photograph taken inside Nasser Hospital, after a siege by the Israeli forces. At the end of January, the Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for the entire area and surrounded the hospital, which found itself at the center of intense fighting for several weeks. (MSF)
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Death Trap in Gaza Will Scar Generations

Photograph taken inside Nasser Hospital, after a siege by the Israeli forces. At the end of January, the Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for the entire area and surrounded the hospital, which found itself at the center of intense fighting for several weeks. (MSF)
Photograph taken inside Nasser Hospital, after a siege by the Israeli forces. At the end of January, the Israeli forces issued evacuation orders for the entire area and surrounded the hospital, which found itself at the center of intense fighting for several weeks. (MSF)

Repeated Israeli military attacks on Palestinian civilians over the last 14 months, the dismantling of the healthcare system and other essential infrastructure, the suffocating siege, and the systematic denial of humanitarian assistance are destroying life conditions in Gaza, according to a new Doctors Without Borders report “Gaza: Life in a death trap.”
Christopher Lockyear, MSF secretary general, who visited Gaza earlier this year, said “People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave.”
He added that the recent military offensive in the north is a stark illustration of the brutal war the Israeli forces are waging on Gaza, and we are seeing clear signs of ethnic cleansing as Palestinians are forcibly displaced, trapped, and bombed.
“What our medical teams have witnessed on the ground throughout this conflict is consistent with the descriptions provided by an increasing number of legal experts and organizations concluding that genocide is taking place in Gaza,” he said.
Also, the secretary general noted that “while we don’t have legal authority to establish intentionality, the signs of ethnic cleansing and the ongoing devastation—including mass killings, severe physical and mental health injuries, forced displacement, and impossible conditions of life for Palestinians under siege and bombardment—are undeniable.”
The United Nations estimated earlier this year that more than 10,000 bodies remained buried under the rubble.
Israeli forces have on numerous occasions prevented essential items such as food, water, and medical supplies from entering the Strip, as well as blocked, denied, and delayed humanitarian assistance, as documented in the report.
Some 1.9 million people—90% of the entire population of the Strip—have been forcibly displaced, many forced to move multiple times.
The situation in northern Gaza is especially dire following Israel’s recent scorched earth military offensive that has depopulated large areas and reportedly killed almost 2,000 people.
The northern part of the Strip, particularly Jabalia camp, has been besieged again by Israeli forces since Oct. 6, 2024.
Israeli authorities have dramatically reduced the quantity of essential aid authorized to enter the north.
“For more than a year, our medical staff in Gaza have witnessed a relentless campaign by the Israeli forces marked by massive destruction, devastation, and dehumanization,” said Lockyear.
“Palestinians have been killed in their homes and in hospital beds. They have been forcibly displaced time and time again to areas that are not safe or healthy. People cannot find even the most basic necessities like food, clean water, medicines, and soap amid a punishing siege and blockade,” he added.
MSF called on states, particularly Israel’s closest allies, to end their unconditional support for Israel and fulfill their obligation to prevent genocide in Gaza.
Nearly a year ago, on Jan. 26, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
Israel has taken no meaningful action to comply with the court order, the MSF report said.
Instead, Israeli authorities continue to actively block MSF and other humanitarian organizations from providing lifesaving assistance to people trapped under siege and bombardment.
MSF said that States must leverage their influence to alleviate the suffering of the population and enable a massive scale-up of humanitarian assistance across the Gaza Strip.
Describing Israel as the occupying power, MSF said Israeli authorities are responsible for ensuring the rapid, unimpeded, and safe delivery of humanitarian aid at the level sufficient to address people’s needs.
Instead, MSF said Israel’s blockade and continued obstruction of aid have made it close to impossible for people in Gaza to access essential goods, including fuel, food, water, and medicines.
At the same time, Israel has decided to effectively ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is the largest provider of aid, health care, and other vital services for Palestinians, it added.
MSF repeated its call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire.
It said the total destruction of Palestinian life in Gaza must stop.
MSF said it is also calling for immediate and safe access to northern Gaza to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and medical supplies to hospitals.
Its report noted that even if the Israeli military offensive on Gaza ended today, its long-term impacts would be unprecedented, given the scale of the destruction and the extraordinary challenges of providing health care across the Strip.
It said a staggering number of war-wounded people are at risk of infection, amputation, and permanent disability, and many will require years of rehabilitative care.
“The cumulative physical toll and mental trauma caused by the extreme violence, loss of family members and homes, repeated forced displacement, and inhumane living conditions will scar generations,” MSF added.