Bathily Tasked with Ensuring Security for Libya's Elections

 UN Special Representative for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily - (UNSMIL)
UN Special Representative for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily - (UNSMIL)
TT
20

Bathily Tasked with Ensuring Security for Libya's Elections

 UN Special Representative for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily - (UNSMIL)
UN Special Representative for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily - (UNSMIL)

UN Special Representative for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily has made several "unprecedented" security steps in preparation for holding Libya's elections, amid speculations by some politicians over the sufficiency of the measures he took so far.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a number of military personnel and researchers indicated that Bathily could succeed in achieving his goal, however, they pointed to possible obstacles and tensions.

In this regard, Former Libyan Defense Minister Muhammad Al-Barghathi said Bathily succeed in bringing together all active military forces who are technically capable of guaranteeing safe elections anytime, saying the UN envoy tackled his mission with “intelligence and courage that his predecessors lacked."

Al-Barghathi also said he understands doubts that leaders of armed factions in the western region wouldn’t commit to the elections because it jeopardizes their security control, however, he said the compromise "wasn't and won't be for free.”

"Most likely, the leaders of those factions imposed their conditions during the unannounced security meetings that preceded their recent meeting in Tripoli," he noted.

For his part, Head of Libya's Renewal Party Suleiman al-Bayoudi called for expanding the scope of participation in the security meetings to include all military and security forces in the country.

Al-Bayoudi warned Bathily in a Facebook post about the repercussions of disregarding the isolated military forces.

Also, Ahmed Aliba, a researcher at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, highlighted several factors, at the international and local levels, that would enable Bathily to provide the minimum-security environment required to hold the elections.

Aliba told Asharq Al-Awsat that the international forces, with Washington in the lead, have changed their stances by increasing coordination with Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, which reflects mutual interests between both sides.

This was demonstrated in the participation of the army delegation in all security meetings that were held in Libya and abroad.

On the local level, Aliba said that the Libyans are fed up with the political stalemate that spanned for months now, which Bathily could use to press the parliament and Libya's High Council of State to pass the elections laws as soon as possible.

He added that the indirect agreements between Haftar and the head of the interim Libyan unity government, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, forecast the possibility of overcoming any obstacles or threats that could hinder holding the elections.



Spain Airdrops 12 Tons of Food Aid Over Gaza

A picture taken in northern Gaza's Jabalia shows aid parcels parachuted down following an airdrop above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 1, 2025. (AFP)
A picture taken in northern Gaza's Jabalia shows aid parcels parachuted down following an airdrop above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 1, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20

Spain Airdrops 12 Tons of Food Aid Over Gaza

A picture taken in northern Gaza's Jabalia shows aid parcels parachuted down following an airdrop above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 1, 2025. (AFP)
A picture taken in northern Gaza's Jabalia shows aid parcels parachuted down following an airdrop above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 1, 2025. (AFP)

Spain said Friday it had air-dropped 12 tons of food into Gaza, which UN-backed experts say is slipping into famine.

The mission deployed 24 parachutes, each capable of carrying 500 kilos (1,100 pounds) of food, for a total of 12 tons -- enough for 11,000 people, said Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

Spain also has aid waiting to cross into Gaza by road from Egypt, the minister added in a video message posted on social network X, along with a video of the operation.

"The induced famine that the people of Gaza are suffering is a disgrace to all of humanity," Albares said.

"Israel must open all land crossings permanently so that humanitarian aid can enter on a massive scale."

Spain joins other Western countries, including Britain and France, that have recently partnered with Middle Eastern nations to deliver humanitarian supplies by air to the Palestinian enclave.

But the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees Philippe Lazzarini warned that airdrops alone would not avert the worsening hunger.

"Airdrops are at least 100 times more costly than trucks. Trucks carry twice as much aid as planes," he wrote on X.

Although Israel has in recent days allowed more aid trucks into the Gaza Strip, aid agencies say Israeli authorities could do much more to speed up border checks and open more border posts.

Concern has escalated in the past week about the situation in the Gaza Strip after more than 21 months of war, which started after Palestinian group Hamas carried out a deadly attack against Israel in October 2023.

UN-backed experts warned on Tuesday that a "worst-case scenario" famine was unfolding there that could not be reversed unless humanitarian groups got immediate and unimpeded access.