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UNSMIL Welcomes Opening of Libya’s Coastal Highway

The opening ceremony of the coastal highway at al-Khamseen Gate, west of Sirte (Ministry of Interior)
The opening ceremony of the coastal highway at al-Khamseen Gate, west of Sirte (Ministry of Interior)
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UNSMIL Welcomes Opening of Libya’s Coastal Highway

The opening ceremony of the coastal highway at al-Khamseen Gate, west of Sirte (Ministry of Interior)
The opening ceremony of the coastal highway at al-Khamseen Gate, west of Sirte (Ministry of Interior)

Libya witnessed on Friday the official opening of the vital coastal highway linking the east and west of the country after a two-year closure.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomed the move and congratulated the Libyan people for this "landmark and historic achievement."

"The opening of the Coastal Road is another step in strengthening peace, security, and stability in the country, and in the unification of its institutions," announced Special Envoy Jan Kubis.

He indicated that this is also a signal to the country's leaders to set aside their differences and work together to implement the roadmap and hold elections on December 24.

"The next major step in the ceasefire agreement's implementation process is to commence the withdrawal of all mercenaries, foreign fighters, and forces from Libya without delay," Kubis stressed.

The 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) announced the opening of the coastal road on Friday. The commission includes representatives of the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and the unity government's forces.

The opening ceremony was held at al-Khamseen Gate, west of Sirte, and attended by JMC members, local officials, and the UNSMIL delegation. Hundreds of cars and trucks crossed the highway into the western region.

JMC member Major General Ahmed Abu Shahma said that this would end the suffering of citizens and accelerate the delivery of all necessary and humanitarian aid to all cities.

Abu Shahma explained that the committee seeks to remove mercenaries and foreign forces from Libyan territories, citing his talks with Kubis to help communicate with the relevant countries that have troops on Libyan soil to "get them out."

He said that the military engineering and demining teams are working to clear mines and secure the movement of travelers and cattle.

In a televised speech, Haftar cautioned that peace will not be possible “unless all foreign forces and mercenaries leave the Libyan territories unconditionally" and urged the international community to double its efforts to achieve this end.

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Arab World

Uncertain Future for the PFLP-GC in Post-Assad Syria

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
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Uncertain Future for the PFLP-GC in Post-Assad Syria

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 

The brief detention of Talal Naji, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), by Syrian authorities has renewed scrutiny over the status of Palestinian factions still operating in Syria, particularly those that aligned with the former Assad regime.

Naji’s arrest and swift release come amid a major political realignment following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. Once one of the most active and heavily armed Palestinian groups in Syria, the PFLP-GC now faces an uncertain future, along with other factions that were long tolerated—or even supported—under Assad’s rule.

A well-informed Palestinian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new Syrian administration has appointed a figure known as Abu Abdul Rahman al-Shami to oversee the file of Palestinian factions. Since assuming the role, al-Shami has convened multiple meetings with faction representatives, including regular attendees from the PFLP-GC, to discuss the fate of their fighters, weapons, property, and military infrastructure.

According to the source, al-Shami has made it clear that the new government intends to hold accountable any individuals or groups implicated in crimes against Syrian civilians during the civil war. Palestinian factions have been instructed to surrender all weapons and military equipment, and to limit their activities to humanitarian and relief work. The PFLP-GC, the source said, has largely complied.

Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Naji and much of the PFLP-GC’s second- and third-tier leadership have remained in Syria. Its offices in Damascus reportedly continue to operate, though under heightened scrutiny. Other faction leaders, however, have fled. Among them are Khaled Abdul Majid (Popular Struggle Front), Ziyad al-Saghir (Fatah–Intifada), Mohammad al-Saeed (Liwa al-Quds), and Saed Abdel Al (Free Palestine Movement). Most are believed to have sought refuge in Lebanon.

Sources confirmed that several PFLP-GC fighters have been detained in recent weeks in connection with alleged war crimes committed during their cooperation with Assad’s forces. The Syrian government has also moved to seize faction offices and military installations across the country, including properties belonging to Fatah–Intifada, the Free Palestine Movement, and the Sa’iqa Forces. Sa’iqa’s leader, Mohammad Qais, remains in Syria.

In a further blow, authorities have reportedly frozen bank accounts belonging to some Palestinian factions, both in state and private banks, although it remains unclear whether the PFLP-GC is among them.

Additionally, it is widely believed that the PFLP-GC has handed over its military training camps, which were previously spread across Damascus countryside, Daraa, Aleppo, and Suwayda. “The situation is extremely sensitive, and everyone is anxious,” one Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It’s likely they’ve surrendered those sites.”

The sense of unease deepened last month when Syrian authorities detained two senior Islamic Jihad officials in Damascus: Khaled Khaled, head of the group’s Syria bureau, and Abu Ali Yasser, its chief organizational officer. Both remain in custody, and no official charges have been announced.

The current atmosphere of fear and uncertainty has driven faction leaders to avoid public comment. Most now insist on anonymity when speaking to local or international media.

Before the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in March 2011, Syria hosted more than a dozen Palestinian factions. As the conflict escalated, the Assad regime encouraged the formation of new pro-regime groups, composed largely of Palestinian refugees, to fight alongside its forces.