Arab League chief, Libyan prime minister discuss ways to boost peace

Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, 2nd left, and Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (X/@lassecgen)
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Updated 04 July 2024
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Arab League chief, Libyan prime minister discuss ways to boost peace

  • Ahmed Aboul Gheit met with Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba
  • Meeting involved exchange of views on latest developments in Libya

CAIRO: The Arab League will continue its efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Libya, said Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the organization’s secretary-general.

He said the league would continue its efforts to encourage all Libyan leaders to take measures toward “adopting a constitution and holding presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya, in response to the aspirations of the Libyan people and to establish stability and security in the country.”

The secretary-general received Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, prime minister of the National Unity Government of Libya. Their meeting involved an exchange of views on the latest developments in Libya.

The prime minister discussed the current situation and the government’s efforts to restore security and advance development in the country.

Gamal Roshdy, spokesman for the secretary-general, relayed Aboul Gheit’s review of a dialogue session hosted by the league for several Libyan parties in March. 

The secretary-general also listened to the prime minister’s perspective on the matter.

In March, the secretary-general at the league’s headquarters in Cairo hosted Mohammed Menfi, president of Libya’s Presidential Council; Aguila Saleh, speaker of the House of Representatives; and Mohammed Takala, president of the High State Council.

The talks were intended to facilitate intra-Libyan dialogue as part of the Arab League’s efforts to foster mutual understanding among Libyan parties.

A league statement referred to efforts to streamline viewpoints and resolve differences regarding presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.

The three Libyan officials agreed to promote the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and reject any hostile external interference in its political processes.


Israel says carrying out ‘large-scale strikes’ on Tehran

Updated 38 min 41 sec ago
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Israel says carrying out ‘large-scale strikes’ on Tehran

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it launched “large-scale strikes” on Tehran on Monday, two days since the start of a US-Israeli campaign against Iran.
“The Israeli Air Force... has begun an additional wave of strikes against the Iranian terror regime at the heart of Tehran,” the military said in a statement.

Israel announced the new “large-scale” strikes, while President Donald Trump vowed to avenge the deaths of US service members and said the war could last for weeks.

In other developments:

• The European Union has warned of the cost to the Middle East of a long war, and said it was reinforcing its naval mission in the Red Sea with additional vessels as Iran’s retaliation to US-Israeli strikes threatens maritime traffic, a European diplomat said.
Two new French ships will join the EU’s Aspides mission, bringing to five the number of warships taking part, the diplomat told AFP.

• Gulf states vowed to defend themselves against Iranian attacks, including by “responding to the aggression” if need be, after the Gulf Cooperation Council convened via video-link to formulate a unified response.

• Top US officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make the case Tuesday to Congress for the attack on Iran. Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and military chief General Dan Caine “will brief the full membership of both chambers of Congress,” White House spokesman Dylan Johnson said.

 

• Container shipping company Maersk said it was halting passage through the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz for “safety” reasons.
The Danish group was the latest of several shipping groups to make similar announcements after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait closed on Saturday.

• Seven people were injured in the Jerusalem area following the latest salvo of missiles fired from Iran, Israeli firefighters said.

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had agreed to let the United States use UK bases to fire “defensive” strikes aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and their launchers. But in a video address posted to social media, he added: “We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now.

• Iranian media reported that a police station in a city on the outskirts of Tehran had been hit, killing an unspecified number of people, with others reportedly trapped under debris. “According to initial reports, a number of citizens were martyred and some were trapped under the rubble,” the Tasnim news agency reported.

• Iranian news agency ISNA reported that Gandhi hospital in northern Tehran had been targeted by strikes. The Fars and Mizan agencies published a video, presented as being from inside the facility, showing debris on the floor among wheelchairs.