UNSMIL Calls for Containing Military Tensions in Libya

A bus travels towards Tripoli by the newly-reopened coastal road which was cut between the cities of Misrata and Sirte, near Ras Lanuf, Libya August 10, 2021. (Reuters)
A bus travels towards Tripoli by the newly-reopened coastal road which was cut between the cities of Misrata and Sirte, near Ras Lanuf, Libya August 10, 2021. (Reuters)
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UNSMIL Calls for Containing Military Tensions in Libya

A bus travels towards Tripoli by the newly-reopened coastal road which was cut between the cities of Misrata and Sirte, near Ras Lanuf, Libya August 10, 2021. (Reuters)
A bus travels towards Tripoli by the newly-reopened coastal road which was cut between the cities of Misrata and Sirte, near Ras Lanuf, Libya August 10, 2021. (Reuters)

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called on all parties in Libya “to refrain from any mobilization or deployment of security elements and troops that may be perceived as an escalation.”

Several political, military, and security parties that are loyal to the transitional authority denounced a recent demand by the Joint Military Committee (JMC) for the suspension of agreements signed by Libya with other countries.

UNSMIL urged all parties “to respect the lines of demarcation as they were at the time of the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement.”

The statement further added, “UNSMIL renews its support to the efforts of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission aimed at maintaining calm and stability.”

“The Mission renews its call to all concerned national and international actors to ensure, respect, and support the full implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions,” it continued.

Meanwhile, head of the Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibeh stressed during a surprise meeting on Wednesday with several members of the military committee the need for coordination over decisions to ensure that they are in line with the government’s plan.

He reiterated the Defense Ministry’s support for the efforts of the JMC that led to the reopening of the coastal road, confirming that they are following up closely on the committee's work while emphasizing the importance of coordination with the Ministry of Interior to secure the road.

The Libyan Presidential Council, headed by Mohammed al-Menfi, demanded that a minister of defense should be appointed soon to unify the military. Dbeibeh currently acts as defense minister in his capacity as head of the government.

Spokesperson of the Council, Najwa Wahiba said on Wednesday that the council, in its capacity as chief commander of the army, reiterated its willingness to unify the military and support national reconciliation to pave the way for the elections in December.



Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Leave 15 Dead, Medics Say

 Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Leave 15 Dead, Medics Say

 Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed 15 people on Wednesday, some of them in a school housing displaced people, medics in Gaza said, adding that the fatalities included two sons of a former Hamas spokesman.

Health officials in the Hamas-run enclave said eight Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli strike that hit the Al-Tabeaeen School, which was sheltering displaced families in Gaza City. Among those killed were two sons of former Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, according to medics and Barhoum himself.

In the Shejaia suburb of Gaza City, another strike killed four people, while three people were killed in an Israeli air strike in Beit Lahiya on the northern edge of the enclave where army forces have been operating since last month.

Separately, a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the US and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region shaken by two wars for over a year.

Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian group attacked Israel in October of 2023, killing around 1,200 people and capturing over 250 hostages, Israel has said, triggering the Gaza war.

Israel's 13-month campaign in Gaza has left nearly 44,200 people dead and displaced nearly all the enclave's population at least once, according to Gaza health officials.

Months of attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have yielded scant progress and negotiations are now on hold, with mediator Qatar saying it has told the two warring parties it would suspend its efforts until the sides are prepared to make concessions.