US Mediates between Libya's Dbeibah, Bashagha

Libyan prime minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah chairing a cabinet meeting. (Libyan government)
Libyan prime minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah chairing a cabinet meeting. (Libyan government)
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US Mediates between Libya's Dbeibah, Bashagha

Libyan prime minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah chairing a cabinet meeting. (Libyan government)
Libyan prime minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah chairing a cabinet meeting. (Libyan government)

US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland kicked off public and official mediation efforts between Premier Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha.

However, Norland did not indicate which government was recognized by the US administration.

Norland spoke over the phone with both Dbeibah and Bashagha urging them to consider ways to manage Libya's affairs while efforts are underway, with UN facilitation, to restore momentum towards parliamentary and presidential elections rapidly.

"In the context of ongoing political tensions in Libya, I have been in touch with PM Dbeibah and PM-designate Fathi Bashagha and am confident both leaders want to avoid escalating violence," he disclosed via the US Embassy Twitter account.

He lauded their "mutual commitment" to holding elections as soon as possible and confirmed that such decisions "only Libyans can make," reaffirming Washington's support in reaching peaceful solutions.

Later, Norland discussed with Speaker Aguila Saleh how to deescalate tensions, avoid violence, and restore momentum to parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible.

The ambassador welcomed the Speaker's commitment to engage with UN efforts to produce rapid agreement on a constitutional basis and his emphasis on High National Election Commission's (HNEC) decisive role.

They agreed that Libya could not return to the turmoil of the past.

Earlier, Saleh discussed with the UK Charge d'Affaires, Kate English, the measures taken between the House of Representatives (HoR) and the state in the twelfth constitutional amendment and the selection of a new prime minister.

The British official intends to hold a meeting with Saleh and visit Benghazi and the eastern region soon.

The British Embassy said English had a "constructive discussion" with Saleh, and they agreed on the importance of engaging with the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser initiative to define a constitutional basis for elections.

They also agreed on the importance of stability and the need for compromise and dialogue at this critical time in Libya's transition.

In turn, UN Special Adviser Stephanie Williams criticized the media campaigns targeting efforts to end division in Libya.

Williams defended her initiative that aims at "bringing Libyans together to agree on a consensual constitutional basis to enable the holding of these elections as soon as possible."

She reiterated her support to the millions of Libyans who want to change this unacceptable reality and renew the legitimacy of institutions through elections.

"Libyans need to agree on a consensual way forward that prioritizes preserving the country's unity and stability."

Williams' statements seemed to respond to criticism directed at her initiative inviting leadership of both the House of Representatives and the High Council of State to nominate six delegates from each chamber to form a joint committee dedicated to developing a consensual constitutional basis.



Egypt’s Parliament Speaker Rejects Proposals for Taking in Palestinians from Gaza

 Two boys watch a crowd of Palestinians returning to northern Gaza, amid destroyed buildings, following Israel's decision to allow thousands of them to return for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)
Two boys watch a crowd of Palestinians returning to northern Gaza, amid destroyed buildings, following Israel's decision to allow thousands of them to return for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)
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Egypt’s Parliament Speaker Rejects Proposals for Taking in Palestinians from Gaza

 Two boys watch a crowd of Palestinians returning to northern Gaza, amid destroyed buildings, following Israel's decision to allow thousands of them to return for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)
Two boys watch a crowd of Palestinians returning to northern Gaza, amid destroyed buildings, following Israel's decision to allow thousands of them to return for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)

Egypt’s parliament speaker on Monday strongly rejected proposals to move Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, saying this could spread conflict to other parts of the Middle East.

The comments by Hanfy el-Gebaly, speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives, came a day after US President Donald Trump urged Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza.

El-Gebaly, who didn’t address Trump’s comments directly, told a parliament session Monday that such proposals "are not only a threat to the Palestinians but also they also represent a severe threat to regional security and stability.”

“The Egyptian House of Representatives completely rejects any arrangements or attempts to change the geographical and political reality for the Palestinian cause,” he said.

On Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting any “temporary or long-term” transfer of Palestinians out of their territories.

The ministry warned that such a move “threatens stability, risks expanding the conflict in the region and undermines prospects of peace and coexistence among its people.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right governing partners have long advocated what they describe as the voluntary emigration of large numbers of Palestinians and the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.

Human rights groups have already accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, which United Nations experts have defined as a policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove the civilian population of another group from certain areas “by violent and terror-inspiring means.”