Int’l Calls to Open Probe into Burnt Bodies Found on Sabratha Shore

Libyan security guard gathering documents of migrants (IOM)
Libyan security guard gathering documents of migrants (IOM)
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Int’l Calls to Open Probe into Burnt Bodies Found on Sabratha Shore

Libyan security guard gathering documents of migrants (IOM)
Libyan security guard gathering documents of migrants (IOM)

International diplomatic missions in Libya issued several calls on Tuesday for an investigation into the recovered 15 bodies, including a number burned, found on and near a boat on the shores of Sabratha.

Several humanitarian organizations called on Monday for the immediate rescue of the sinking boat off the coast of Libya, with 100 migrants on board.

The head of the European Union delegation to Libya, Sabadell Jose, strongly condemned the "heinous killing" of the 15 migrants in Sabratha.

"We are also deeply saddened by the tragic loss of human life. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," said the official.

Jose called, via his Twitter account, for "a swift, independent and transparent investigation to bring all perpetrators to justice. We must continue to fight the criminal networks that exploit migrants and asylum-seekers in Libya."

Reports varied about the incident; some eyewitnesses said the dead people were migrants caught in a dispute between two rival groups of people smugglers, while others declared an artillery shell that attacked the boat.

The Libyan Red Crescent Society, which led the rescue mission, did not reveal any details, saying its efforts are limited to providing humanitarian support to local authorities and alleviating the suffering of the most vulnerable groups.

The British Ambassador to Libya, Caroline Hurndall, called for an investigation into this "abhorrent” incident and bringing the perpetrators to justice, adding that the criminal networks that exploit migrants and asylum-seekers must be dismantled.

The UN said that 11 charred bodies were found inside the docked boat, with four wounded bodies found outside, noting that the exact circumstances have not been determined.

The statement indicated that the killings reportedly resulted from armed clashes between rival traffickers.

UNSMIL called on "Libyan authorities to ensure a swift, independent and transparent investigation to bring all perpetrators to justice," adding that the attack is a "stark reminder" of the lack of protection migrants and asylum-seekers face in Libya, and the "widespread human rights violations undertaken by powerful trafficking and criminal networks who need to be swiftly stopped and prosecuted."

Furthermore, the US Embassy in Libya also strongly condemned the incident, calling on the Libyan authorities to "swiftly investigate this horrific attack, prosecute the criminals involved, and intensify efforts to combat human trafficking to the fullest extent."

Sabratha is one of the major transit points for illegal migrants seeking to travel to Europe.

Since the start of the year, more than 14,000 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

At least 216 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, and 724 are missing and presumed dead.

The Red Crescent recovered dozens of bodies washed ashore in Khoms city in November 2020, which the group described as a terrifying disaster at the time.

The Red Crescent pointed out that it works with regional and international partners to support and assist migrants, stressing that it will continue to support migrants and displaced persons all over Libya by providing health services and ensuring communication with their families.

Meanwhile, SOS Mediterranee and the ALARMPHONE project issued a joint call to rescue a boat carrying 100 migrants off the Libyan coast.

The appeal, which was reported by the Italian agency "Aki," stated that a hundred people are at risk off the coast of Libya after losing contact with them, pointing out that before the communication was cut off, one of the migrants reported to the two sides that the boat's engine failed and water started leaking into the ship.



Hamas Says Israeli Troops Sticking Point in Truce Talks as Gaza Pounded

Palestinians sit in front of their makeshift home in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Palestinians sit in front of their makeshift home in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Hamas Says Israeli Troops Sticking Point in Truce Talks as Gaza Pounded

Palestinians sit in front of their makeshift home in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Palestinians sit in front of their makeshift home in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

Hamas on Thursday said it opposes any ceasefire deal that includes a large Israeli military presence in Gaza, after offering to release some hostages and as the civil defense reported scores of civilians killed across the Palestinian territory.

The group said late Wednesday that it had agreed to release 10 people seized in its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war.

Both sides have been holding indirect talks in Qatar to agree a temporary halt in the conflict and the United States says it is hopeful of a 60-day truce in the coming days.

But Hamas said in its announcement of the partial hostage release that disagreements over the free flow of aid into Gaza and Israel's military withdrawal were sticking points in the discussions.

It also wants "real guarantees" for a lasting peace.

Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim on Thursday said the group was committed to the talks to end the war "as soon as possible".

But he told AFP: "We cannot accept the perpetuation of the occupation of our land and the surrender of our people to isolated enclaves under the control of the occupation army (Israel).

"This is what the negotiating delegation is presenting to the occupation so far in the current round of negotiations in Doha."

Hamas was particularly opposed to Israeli control over Rafah, on the border with Egypt, and the so-called Morag Corridor between the southern city and Khan Yunis, he added.

Israel announced earlier this year that the army was seizing large areas in Gaza and incorporating them into buffer zones cleared of their inhabitants, as a way of pressuring Hamas to release hostages.

Naim also said the group wanted an end to the current delivery of aid by a US- and Israel-backed group, a system which has seen scores killed while seeking handouts.

Unanswered questions

Hamas has given no timeline for the release of hostages or indications about the return of the bodies of nine detainees that Israel says have died in captivity.

Its announcement came as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrapped up a visit this week to the United States that focused heavily on the ceasefire talks.

Netanyahu, under pressure at home to end the war as military casualties increase, was initially uncompromising in his bid to crush Hamas and neutralize it as a security threat to Israel.

But after two high-profile meetings with Donald Trump, he indicated that a temporary truce deal could be on the horizon, echoing the US president's own optimism that a deal can be struck soon.

On the ground in Gaza, there was no let-up in civilian casualties on Thursday, with the civil defense agency reporting 52 killed in Israeli strikes and shooting across the embattled territory.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military and AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details due to media restrictions in Gaza.

But agency official Mohammed al-Mughair said in the deadliest strike, eight children were among 17 killed when Israeli aircraft targeted "a gathering of civilians in front of a medical point" in Deir el-Balah.

Separate strikes and shooting were reported elsewhere across Gaza, with people displaced by the 21-month conflict among the casualties as well as three people near an aid center, he added.

The deaths cap another bloody week in Gaza, after the authorities reported at least 29 were killed on Wednesday, 26 on Tuesday and 12 on Monday.

Overall, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 57,680 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the conflict.

Hamas's attacks on border communities in Israel that sparked the war led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

A total of 251 hostages were seized in the attack. Forty-nine are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.