Libya's Presidency Council Suspends Foreign Minister, Govt Rejects Decision

Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. (Reuters)
Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. (Reuters)
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Libya's Presidency Council Suspends Foreign Minister, Govt Rejects Decision

Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. (Reuters)
Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. (Reuters)

Libya's Presidency Council has suspended Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush for "administrative violations" and barred her from traveling, its spokesperson said on Saturday.

The spokesperson, Najwa Wahiba, confirmed the authenticity of a document circulating on social media ordering Mangoush's suspension for carrying out foreign policy without coordination with the council.

Libya's transitional Government of National Unity issued a statement early on Sunday rejecting the council's decision and lauding the minister's efforts, saying she would carry her duties normally.

The statement, issued on the government's Facebook page, said that the Presidency Council has "no legal right to appoint or cancel the appointment of members of the executive authority, suspend them or investigate them." It added that these powers are exclusive to the prime minister.

The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, a UN-selected assembly that set a roadmap for peace in Libya, chose a three-man Presidency Council headed by Mohamed Menfi until election are held.

Disagreement over the council's suspension of the foreign minister is likely to increase tensions between Libya's rival factions as they try to work together after years of conflict.



Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah Weapons Facility in Syria

This picture shows a crater caused by an Israeli strike on the road leading to Syria's Jousieh border crossing with Lebanon on October 28, 2024. (AFP)
This picture shows a crater caused by an Israeli strike on the road leading to Syria's Jousieh border crossing with Lebanon on October 28, 2024. (AFP)
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Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah Weapons Facility in Syria

This picture shows a crater caused by an Israeli strike on the road leading to Syria's Jousieh border crossing with Lebanon on October 28, 2024. (AFP)
This picture shows a crater caused by an Israeli strike on the road leading to Syria's Jousieh border crossing with Lebanon on October 28, 2024. (AFP)

The Israeli military said it conducted an airstrike on a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in Syria on Tuesday.

The military said the strike targeted the facility run by Hezbollah’s munitions unit in the Syrian town of al-Qusayr, near the border with Lebanon. It said Hezbollah had recently expanded its facilities in the area to step up weapons smuggling into Lebanon from Syria.

The strikes hit an industrial zone in al-Qusayr, according to Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a conflict-monitoring group. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria over recent years, primarily targeting government-controlled areas, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses these operations. The strikes often target Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups.

On Monday, an Israeli airstrike struck near the Sayida Zeinab suburb, south of Damascus, an area where Iran-backed groups are active. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for killing the head of Hezbollah’s military branch in Syria, whom it identified as Mahmoud Mohammed Shaheen.

For the past month, Israel has been carrying out an escalated bombardment campaign in Lebanon, aiming to cripple the Hezbollah armed group, which is allied with Syria and Iran. Israel has also launched ground incursions just across the Israel-Lebanon border, saying it aims to put an end to a year of Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel.