Libya's Dbeibeh Seeks to Tighten Control Over Tripoli

Interior Minister Khaled Mazen during the security meeting in Tripoli (Interior Ministry)
Interior Minister Khaled Mazen during the security meeting in Tripoli (Interior Ministry)
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Libya's Dbeibeh Seeks to Tighten Control Over Tripoli

Interior Minister Khaled Mazen during the security meeting in Tripoli (Interior Ministry)
Interior Minister Khaled Mazen during the security meeting in Tripoli (Interior Ministry)

The interim Libyan unity government, headed by Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, seeks to consolidate its control over Tripoli's "relatively weak" security situation, but it ignored the armed clashes between militias last Monday night.

Interior Minister Khaled Mazen discussed the joint security plan to secure the capital and impose security control over it, including the possibility of forming a joint security room.

The security meeting included several security leaders in the ministry and other security and military services affiliated with the government and the Presidential Council.

The minister reviewed the issues and obstacles facing the security and military agencies to improve the security situation in Tripoli.

Mazen said in a statement that the meeting concluded with "doubling security and traffic efforts ... and dismantling criminal gangs to maintain the security and safety of citizens."

He discussed the joint security plan "No. 2" for the current year, which he said aims to secure Tripoli, calling on all the ministry's agencies to double their efforts and maintain security and stability.

The head of the Criminal Investigation Agency reported that the crime rate dropped during Ramadan month.

Despite it being the first meeting held by the Interior Minister with security leaders after the clashes in Tripoli, Mazen did not comment on the incidents.

Clashes erupted recently between the Stabilization Support Apparatus and the al-Nawasi Brigade, which resulted in the killing of eight people and several damages to the infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the High Council of State (HCS) sent a new invitation for dialogue to the House of Representatives (HoR).

Several High Council of State members confirmed their willingness to hold talks with the HoR once they received the UN invitation.

The House of Representatives did not attend the meeting called by the UN advisor Stephanie Williams in Tunisia with the HCS delegation to complete the stalled dialogue on the constitutional basis necessary for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections.

The new invitation came following a meeting between the First Deputy of Khalid al-Mishri with the Turkish Ambassador, Kanaan Yilmaz, in Tripoli.

The two parties agreed on the importance of dialogue to ease tensions, create a unified executive authority, and complete the electoral process.

Furthermore, Williams said that she had received a positive response from the HoR Speaker, Aguila Saleh, as he welcomed the initiative of the UN, adding that the situation now is only a matter of bringing the HoR and HCS together then launching negotiations.

Williams expressed her optimism that the conditions would allow for an actual meeting of the HoR and HCS.

The UN official added that the UN initiative "did not come from Mars, but the 12th constitutional amendment."

"We do not have to go back to square one. We can build on the consensus that was achieved last January and February. We resorted to another clause in the constitutional amendment, which specifically requires the combination of the two chambers to set a constitutional basis for elections." Williams explained.

Williams said that setting a date for holding elections in Libya is a decision taken by the Libyan authorities and people, adding that the sooner the HoR and the HCS reach a consensus on the constitutional basis, the more realistic the hope of getting to the election stage is.

Williams said the UN had not adopted and would not adopt a position on recognizing one government or another, stressing that the UN is in contact with both sides and that the most important message the UN sends is that all parties need to maintain calm on the ground in Libya.



Charity Accuses Israel of Deadly Strike on Gaza Office Building

 A Palestinian girl runs past the ruins of destroyed buildings along the Gaza City shoreline on Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian girl runs past the ruins of destroyed buildings along the Gaza City shoreline on Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP)
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Charity Accuses Israel of Deadly Strike on Gaza Office Building

 A Palestinian girl runs past the ruins of destroyed buildings along the Gaza City shoreline on Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian girl runs past the ruins of destroyed buildings along the Gaza City shoreline on Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP)

Medical charity Medecins du Monde Wednesday accused Israel of violating international law with drone strikes on a building housing one of its offices in war-torn Gaza that killed eight people, none of them staff.

The France-based aid group said in a statement the attack on Tuesday "constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which protects both civilian populations and humanitarian organizations operating in conflict zones".

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Yesterday morning, at around 11:00 am local time, a building in Deir al-Balah housing a Medecins du Monde office was attacked by drones," the aid group said.

Its staff had not been present as they had been off as part of the Eid al-Adha holiday, it added.

"At least eight people were killed in the bombardment. All were on the last floor of the building," it said, without providing more details on those killed.

"Medecins du Monde had informed the Israeli military of the presence of its office, which had officially been declared 'deconflicted', or shielded from Israeli military attacks under humanitarian coordination agreements," it said.

"However, as during previous Israeli attacks, the team received no forward warning that would have allowed it to evacuate the building or take measures to protect anyone inside," it added.

Several other non-governmental organizations as well as Palestinians displaced by the war are based in the same area, it said.

- Risk of famine -

Israel is facing mounting pressure to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, whose entire population the United Nations has warned is at risk of famine.

Medecins du Monde last month, after more than two months of a total blockade on Gaza, accused Israel of using hunger as "a weapon of war" in the Palestinian territory.

Israel recently allowed some deliveries to resume through the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

But the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality.

Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. It said Israeli forces killed 31 people waiting for aid early on Wednesday.

The Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023 attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says the retaliatory Israeli military offensive has killed at least 54,981 people, the majority civilians. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.

Out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 are still held in Gaza including 32 the Israeli military says are dead.