El-Sisi, Ramaphosa discuss Libyan developments

Fighters loyal to the UN-recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) secure the area of Abu Qurain, half-way between the capital Tripoli and Libya's second city Benghazi, against forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar, who is based in eastern Benghazi, on July 20, 2020. (AFP)
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Updated 26 July 2020
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El-Sisi, Ramaphosa discuss Libyan developments

  • The two sides reviewed ways of reaching a political settlement within the framework of the Berlin Summit and the Cairo Declaration in an effort to combat terrorism, extremist armed militias and external interference
  • The initiative, which was welcomed by various foreign and Arab countries, mandates an intra-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the country’s conflict

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday received a phone call from South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa in which they exchanged views regarding the latest developments in Libya.

A statement from the Egyptian president’s office stressed that the two sides reviewed ways of reaching a political settlement within the framework of the Berlin Summit and the Cairo Declaration in an effort to combat terrorism, extremist armed militias and external interference that threatens regional security and stability.

The Cairo Declaration was a recent joint political initiative announced by El-Sisi, the commander of the Libyan National Army, Khalifa Haftar, and the speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Aguila Saleh, to resolve the cuntry’s crisis.

The initiative, which was welcomed by various foreign and Arab countries, mandates an intra-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the country’s conflict.

Forces loyal to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), who are supported by Turkey, are reportedly planning to launch an attack on Libya’s port city of Sirte and also in Al-Jufra, which El-Sisi recently described as “red lines” in relation to Egypt’s security.

In another development, footage shared on social media showed the moment French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy arrived in the Libyan city of Misrata in an official motorcade.

The visit sparked an angry reaction and widespread controversy in Libyan political circles on all sides. The Presidential Council of the GNA denied having knowledge of Levy’s visit to the areas under its control.

“The council has no relationship or knowledge of the visit and did not coordinate it with him,” Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the council, said.

The statement indicated that the council took measures to investigate the visit and who was behind it, and that it had issued strict instructions to all agencies, departments and ports to prevent any future violations.

A video clip showed the moment Levy’s motorcade escaped from Tarhuna after he was arrested and expelled from it, and headed to the city of Al-Khums.

Some Arab politicians and activists call Levy, the “Godfather of the Arab Spring,” and accuse him of engineering the French military intervention in Libya and of contributing to the overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.

“The Zionist Bernard Levy, the godfather of the Hebrew spring, arrived in Misrata where a high-level delegation from the militia government (the government of reconciliation) met him, and where visits will be organized for him to Al-Khums, Tarhuna and Tripoli, and where a number of senior officials in the militia government meet. Levy has a dangerous role,” Egyptian MP Mustafa Bakry said via his official Twitter account.

Levy had appeared in Libya in 2011 alongside rebel leaders against Gaddafi. He consulted with then French President Nicolas Sarkozy before the military intervention in Libya, and was even credited with helping persuade Sarkozy to play a major role in overthrowing the former Libyan regime.

Political analyst on Libyan affairs Abdel-Basset Hamel said that Levy’s visit to Tarhuna and Misrata “is a scandal by all accounts,” noting that Levy arrived at Tarhuna at the invitation of the minister of interior of the Al-Sarraj government to provide him with support.

Hamel added that Levy had close ties to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and that Al-Sarraj presented Libya “on a plate of gold to Turkey,” saying that (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan was “trying to restore the glories of the Ottoman Empire through the Libyan gate. The new Ottomans have returned to Tripoli and are exploiting the Syrian mercenaries looking for dollars.”

Hamel said there were currently thousands of militiamen and mercenaries of various nationalities in Libya, including Egyptians.


Israel army says intercepted projectile launched from Yemen

Updated 4 sec ago
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Israel army says intercepted projectile launched from Yemen

  • Israeli military also intercepted a drone was launched from Yemen on Monday

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile fired from Yemen on Monday before it crossed into Israeli territory, in the latest in a series of ongoing attacks.
“One projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF (Israeli air force) prior to crossing into Israeli territory,” the military said in a statement.
Earlier on Monday the military said it had also intercepted a drone in southern Israel that was launched from Yemen.
Since the war in the Gaza Strip broke out in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthi militants who control swathes of Yemen have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
In retaliation, Israel has struck Houthi targets several times inside Yemen, including in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa.


Iraqi PM outlines vision for UK relations ahead of official visit

Updated 36 min 38 sec ago
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Iraqi PM outlines vision for UK relations ahead of official visit

  • Mohammed Al-Sudani will meet with King Charles, PM Keir Starmer
  • Visit ‘reflects my government’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership’

LONDON: Iraq’s prime minister has called for bolstering economic, trade and security ties with the UK ahead of an official visit to the country.

Mohammed Al-Sudani will arrive in London on Jan. 13 and will meet with King Charles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior British officials.

Writing in the Telegraph on Sunday, Al-Sudani said the visit “reflects my government’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between Iraq and the UK.”

He warned that it comes amid “unprecedented and escalating events in the Middle East” that threaten the region and the wider world.

Al-Sudani wrote that regional and international solidarity will ensure that the “free will and aspirations of the Syrian people are respected.”

He praised the UK’s support for Iraq’s fight against Daesh, and said the bilateral relationship had significantly transformed in recent decades.

“Today, as our country achieves greater levels of security and stability, the time has come to transition to a new phase of sustainable economic partnership,” he added.

Al-Sudani will aim to attract British investment in Iraqi energy infrastructure during his visit. It is part of a larger plan to establish Iraq as an international trade hub.

“We will continue to encourage more British investments in oil and gas, as well as in renewable energy projects, recognizing the importance of diversifying energy sources and addressing environmental challenges in the long term,” he wrote.

Al-Sudani highlighted banking reform as another area of potential cooperation with the UK, whose financial institutions and expertise can “improve government services and enhance administrative efficiency.”

He added: “We are determined to channel investments into developing education and training to equip young Iraqis with the skills required to meet the demands of the next phase of development.”

Counterterrorism efforts involving the UK could protect both domestic and regional stability, Al-Sudani said, adding that Iraq could benefit from British military industries.

“My upcoming meetings in London carry a clear message: Iraq is committed to building partnerships based on shared interests and forward-looking vision,” he said.

“We seek a global partner with political and economic weight, and the UK is well-positioned to play this vital role as we embark on a new chapter of growth and reconstruction.”

The Iraqi delegation to the UK includes ministers, MPs, Basra’s governor and representatives from the private sector.


UAE sends 35 trucks in 3 convoys to deliver aid to Gaza

Trucks carrying aid from the UAE crossing into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing (WAM)
Updated 42 min 55 sec ago
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UAE sends 35 trucks in 3 convoys to deliver aid to Gaza

  • The latest Emirati delivery of essential supplies includes medical equipment such as dialysis machines and ultrasound devices, plus food and shelter materials
  • The UAE has dispatched 153 humanitarian convoys to Gaza since November 2023, with 2,391 trucks delivering more than 29,274 tonnes of aid

LONDON: Three convoys of trucks carrying aid from the UAE this week crossed into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.

A total of 35 trucks carried more than 248.9 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, including more than 100 tonnes of medical supplies, the Emirates News Agency reported.

The deliveries are part of an ongoing Emirati humanitarian campaign to help the Palestinian people during the war between Israel and Hamas. Since the launch of “Operation Chivalrous Knight 3” in November 2023, the UAE has sent 153 convoys into the Gaza Strip, with a total of 2,391 trucks delivering more than 29,274 tonnes of aid.

The essential supplies delivered by the latest convoys included medical equipment such as dialysis machines, ultrasound devices, resuscitation sets, wheelchairs and respiratory masks, the news agency added. Other items included food, tents and sacks of flour.

Fadel Al-Shamsi, a spokesperson for the Emirati aid operation, said care was taken to maintain the highest standards of safety and quality during the storage and transportation of the medical supplies to Gaza.


Palestinian president meets British FM in Ramallah

Updated 13 min 20 sec ago
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Palestinian president meets British FM in Ramallah

  • Mahmoud Abbas briefed David Lammy on Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem

LONDON: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday at the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters in Ramallah.

Abbas discussed with Lammy the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2735, which calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the coastal enclave.

He highlighted the UK’s backing for the efforts to gain international recognition of the State of Palestine and its full membership in the UN, as part of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He briefed Lammy on the latest Israeli aggressions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, the WAFA news agency reported.


Lebanon president, US general discuss Hezbollah-Israel truce

Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun (L) receives Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla (2nd-R), commander of the US Central Command.
Updated 13 January 2025
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Lebanon president, US general discuss Hezbollah-Israel truce

  • Kurilla and Aoun spoke about “the situation in the south and the stages of implementing the Israeli withdrawal from the south,” the presidency said

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president and a top US general discussed on Monday the implementation of a fragile truce between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel in the south of the country, the presidency said.
President Joseph Aoun and the head of US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, met as a January 26 deadline to fully implement the terms of the ceasefire approached.
Kurilla and Aoun spoke about “the situation in the south and the stages of implementing the Israeli withdrawal from the south,” the presidency said.
Under the November 27 ceasefire accord, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.
At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the country’s south.
A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates, alongside a representative from the UN peacekeeping force, has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the deal.
Former army chief Aoun was elected head of state on Thursday by lawmakers — a vote that followed the weakening of Hamas in the war — ending a more than two-year deadlock during which the position was vacant.
Aoun and Kurilla also discussed “ways to activate cooperation between the Lebanese and American armies,” the presidency said.
The United States has been a key financial backer of the Lebanese armed forces, especially since the country’s economy collapsed in 2019.
Meanwhile, Israel carried out air strikes in east and south Lebanon on Sunday, with the Israeli military saying it struck Hezbollah targets including smuggling routes along the border with Syria.
Israeli strikes in south Lebanon on Friday killed five people, according to the Lebanese health ministry, with the Israeli military saying it targeted a Hezbollah weapons truck.