Latest news with #Haftar-controlled
France 24
13 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
Gaza-bound activist convoy retreats to Misrata after being blocked in east Libya
Pro-Palestinian activists on a march aiming to break Israel's Gaza blockade have retreated to the Misrata region of western Libya after being blocked by the authorities in the country's east, organisers said Sunday. The "Soumoud" convoy – meaning steadfastness in Arabic – decided to fall back to near Misrata, about 200 kilometres (124 miles) east of Tripoli, after being stopped by the eastern authorities. Misrata is administered by the UN-recognised Government of National Unity based in Tripoli, while the east is controlled by military commander Khalifa Haftar. The convoy of more than 1,000 people from Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia had been under a "military blockade" since Friday at the entrance to Sirte, a Haftar-controlled area. 01:40 Organisers said they were subjected to a "systematic siege", with no access to food, water or medicine and communications severely disrupted. They also denounced the arrest of several convoy members, including at least three bloggers who had been documenting its journey since its departure from Tunisia on June 9. In a statement cited by Tunisia's La Presse newspaper, the Joint Action Coordination Committee for Palestine – the group behind the convoy – demanded the immediate release of 13 participants still held by eastern Libyan authorities. In an accompanying video, it reaffirmed its intention to continue the mission to Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt, with the aim of "breaking the blockade and ending the genocide of the Palestinian people resisting in Gaza". In Egypt, a separate initiative – the Global March to Gaza, intended to bring together participants from 80 countries – was halted on Friday by authorities en route to the city of Ismailia, east of Cairo. Dozens of activists were intercepted, reportedly beaten, had passports confiscated, and were forcibly loaded onto buses by police at multiple checkpoints, according to videos shared on social media and with AFP.
The Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Gaza marchers aiming to break Israel's blockade retreat to west Libya after being blocked
PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS ON a march aiming to break Israel's Gaza blockade have retreated to the Misrata region of western Libya after being blocked by the authorities in the country's east, organisers said Sunday. The 'Soumoud' convoy – meaning steadfastness in Arabic – decided to fall back to near Misrata, about 200 kilometres east of Tripoli, after being stopped by the eastern authorities. Misrata is administered by the UN-recognised Government of National Unity based in Tripoli, while the east is controlled by military commander Khalifa Haftar. The convoy of more than 1,000 people from Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia had been under a 'military blockade' since Friday at the entrance to Sirte, a Haftar-controlled area. Organisers said they were subjected to a 'systematic siege', with no access to food, water or medicine and communications severely disrupted. They also denounced the arrest of several convoy members, including at least three bloggers who had been documenting its journey since its departure from Tunisia on 9 June. Advertisement In a statement cited by Tunisia's La Presse newspaper, the Joint Action Coordination Committee for Palestine – the group behind the convoy – demanded the immediate release of 13 participants still held by eastern Libyan authorities. In an accompanying video, it reaffirmed its intention to continue the mission to Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt, with the aim of 'breaking the blockade and ending the genocide of the Palestinian people resisting in Gaza'. In Egypt, a separate initiative - the Global March to Gaza, intended to bring together participants from 80 countries – was halted on Friday by authorities en route to the city of Ismailia, east of Cairo. Dozens of activists were intercepted, reportedly beaten, had passports confiscated, and were forcibly loaded onto buses by police at multiple checkpoints. Irish TD Paul Murphy was detained by Egyptian authorities and had his passport ad phone confiscated alongside other activists. He was subsequently released and told The Journal yesterday evening that he and the group he is marching with have been discussing their options and intend to proceed with the march to whatever extent is possible. Includes reporting by Emma Hickey
Middle East Eye
04-06-2025
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Exclusive: Greece to lobby Egypt against Haftar endorsing Turkey-Libya maritime deal
Greece is expected to ask Egypt to intervene to dissuade the government in eastern Libya backed by General Khalifa Haftar from ratifying a maritime agreement with Turkey, Middle East Eye can reveal. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is expected to raise the issue with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday, two regional officials with knowledge of the matter told Middle East Eye. Libya's internationally recognised government in Tripoli signed a contentious maritime demarcation agreement with Turkey in 2019 that ignored Greece's claims to exclusive economic zones, including via major Greek islands like Crete and Rhodes. Greece countered that maritime agreement the next year by signing its own deal with Egypt. Haftar-controlled eastern Libya has opposed Turkey's ambitions for years and is backed by Cairo along with the UAE. Any move by eastern Libya to endorse Turkey's position would represent a sea change for the eastern Mediterranean, where regional actors hope to develop potentially lucrative natural gas deposits. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It would be a major boost for Ankara's bid to assert itself as the dominant maritime power in the region as it would put all of Libya's factions in line with Turkey's claims. If the deal is pursued it could reawaken maritime tensions in the region which saw Greece and Turkey edge close to conflict in the summer of 2020. Greece and Cyprus are already alarmed. But any recognition of Turkey's maritime claims could also irk Israel. Greece, Cyprus and Israel want to develop gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean and build a subsea electrical inter-connector, but those projects have stalled. If Haftar-controlled eastern Libya ratifies the maritime deal, it could provide cover to Syria's new government to strike its own accord with Ankara that includes Northern Cyprus, a breakaway region whose independence is recognised only by Turkey, one of the regional officials told MEE. Saddam Haftar opens dialogue with Turkey Eastern Libya would also find itself in direct confrontation with the Egypt-Greece maritime agreement. Cairo did not recognise all of Greece's claims to exclusive economic zones via its islands in that 2020 agreement, but a wide swath of it contradicts the Turkey-Tripoli deal. The Tobruk-based Libyan House of Representatives in June established a committee to review the deal Tripoli endorsed. Israel's Netanyahu lobbying US against F-35 sale to Turkey, sources say Read More » Just a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable for Haftar-controlled eastern Libya to consider signing a maritime deal with Turkey. The shift represents just how fast the region is reordering itself. In 2019, Haftar launched a months-long offensive to take Tripoli with the backing the UAE, Egypt and Russia. Turkey successfully intervened to defend its ally, sending mercenaries, soldiers and drones. But Khalifa Haftar is now courting Turkish support. In April, his son and potential successor, Saddam, paid a landmark visit to Ankara. Libya's eastern and western governments are jockeying for influence and access to the country's oil riches - the largest in Africa. Greece was able to lean on Egypt in 2020 to counter Turkey because ties between Ankara and Cairo were strained. Libya was just one flashpoint in the relationship. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi came to power after leading a 2013 military coup, that overthrew Egypt's democratically elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi. He was an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As late as 2019, Erdogan refused to recognise Sisi's legitimacy. However, in recent years Ankara and Cairo have patched up ties. Any effort by Egypt to lobby eastern Libya against the Turkey deal could inflame tensions in the recently thawed relationship.
