UN Mission Welcomes Libya’s ‘Morocco Agreement’, Dbeibah Rejects it

Libyans shop at a market in Tripoli on October 5, 2022. (AFP)
Libyans shop at a market in Tripoli on October 5, 2022. (AFP)
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UN Mission Welcomes Libya’s ‘Morocco Agreement’, Dbeibah Rejects it

Libyans shop at a market in Tripoli on October 5, 2022. (AFP)
Libyans shop at a market in Tripoli on October 5, 2022. (AFP)

The declaration of an agreement in Morocco between head of Libya’s High Council of State Khaled al-Mishri and east-based parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh over the sovereign posts and the formation of a unified government sparked a heated dispute between head of the Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and Mishri.

Mishri and Saleh agreed on the implementation of the article on sovereign posts, addressed in the Bouznika agreement, before the end of the year. They also agreed to the resumption of dialogue with the aim of holding presidential and parliamentary elections with the agreement of the parliament and High Council of State.

In a Twitter post on Friday, Dbeibah rejected “talk about parallel paths, such as the division of sovereign posts.”

He added that the Libyans “are demanding that all parties respect their commitments towards the elections.”

He reiterated his call on Mishri and Saleh to adopt a “fair constitutional base” that resolves the legal disputes that are impeding the elections.

For his part, Mishri demanded that Dbeibah cease “selling delusions to the people.”

In a tweet, he called on Dbeibah to “carry out his job and cease meddling in affairs that are beyond his specialization and jurisdiction.”

Head of the stability government Fathi Bashagha has yet to comment on the Morocco agreement.

Head of the Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi meanwhile, urged Mishri and Saleh to “immediately complete the constitutional base to hold the elections before the end of the year,” local media reported.

He also called on them to commit fully to the roadmap that would ensure the implementation of the political agreement and independence of the judiciary.

Meanwhile, Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Abdoulaye Bathily said he noted the outcome of the meeting between Mishri and Saleh.

In a tweet, he said he “welcomes the resumption of dialogue between the two leaders and expresses his readiness to discuss the details, modalities and timelines of implementation of their commitments.”

He urged “all Libyans leaders to engage in an inclusive dialogue as the only way to overcome the current deadlock and meet the aspirations of the Libyan people.”



Netanyahu Says Israel Won't Stop Striking Hezbollah

Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Netanyahu Says Israel Won't Stop Striking Hezbollah

Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is striking Lebanon’s Hezbollah “with full force” and won’t stop until its goals are achieved.

Netanyahu spoke as he landed in New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly meeting and as US, European and some Arab officials were pressing for a 21-day halt in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah to give time for negotiations.

Netanyahu said Israel’s “policy is clear. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force. And we will not stop until we reach all our goals, chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes.”

He added that he approved the “targeted killing operation” of the head of Hezbollah’s drone unit in south Beirut Thursday.

Israel has dramatically escalated strikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is targeting Hezbollah. Israeli leaders have said they are determined to stop more than 11 months of cross-border fire by the group into Israel, which has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis from communities in the north.