Libya

Mediterranean tensions rise after aid ship reports gunfire from Libyan-affiliated vessels

Armed vessels linked to the Libyan coast guard opened fire Monday on a humanitarian rescue ship shortly after it saved about 90 migrants from an overcrowded wooden boat in the…

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Italy leans on Libya to plug energy gap caused by Iran war

A delegation of Italian lawmakers has traveled to Libya to explore potentially ramping up energy trade with the war-torn country to fill the gap caused by the war in the…

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Mass rescue operation by Libyan authorities: over 400 migrants saved from 10 boats

Libya's eastern-based coast guard of the Libyan National Army rescued at least 404 migrants on board 10 ‌boats after they had "faced harsh conditions at sea," the Tobruk Red Crescent…

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Two arms brokers on trial in UK for missiles and fighter jet deals with Libya and Sudan

Two arms brokers arranged illegal deals to supply ex-Soviet surface-to-air missile systems to South Sudan and fighter jets to Libya during its civil war, British prosecutors told a London court…

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In a first, Libya’s rival forces take part in joint US-led military exercises

Forces from Libya's east- and west-based administrations participated in U.S. special forces exercises in the central city of Sirte on Tuesday in the first such joint military ‌event including the…

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Tanker Hit Off Malta Sparks Claims of Secret Ukrainian Operation in Libyan Waters

Ukrainian forces are operating in western Libya under a covert deal endorsed by the West, and they used the Northern African country's territory to strike a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last…

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Libya’s Haftar acquires combat drones despite UN embargo

Eastern Libya's military leader, Khalifa Haftar, has acquired what appear to be Chinese and Turkish combat drones, Reuters reporting has found, despite a long-standing U.N. embargo on supplying weapons to…

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Updated: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of ex-Libyan leader, assasinated

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Libya’s former ruler Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed at the age of 53 in an attack at his residence in Zintan, western Libya.…

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Libya plans to boost gas exports to Europe by 2030

Libya plans to boost its natural gas production in the next five years to have more supply available for export to Europe by early 2030, National Oil Corporation Chairman Massoud…

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Libya signs $20bn oil deals with US and French energy companies

Libya’s Tripoli-based government signed a 25-year oil development agreement with France's TotalEnergies and the US’s ConocoPhillips that could more than double the output of its Waha Oil company. Waha, a…

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Human trafficker who tortured migrants in Libya jailed for 20 years in Netherlands

An Eritrean people trafficker who tortured African refugees and migrants in camps in Libya was jailed for 20 years on by a Dutch court, with a judge saying he had…

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UPDATED: Libyan army’s chief dies in plane crash in Turkey

The Libyan army's chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, died in a plane crash on Tuesday after leaving Turkey's capital Ankara, the prime minister of Libya's internationally recognised government…

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Pakistan to strike multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deal with Libya’s Haftar

Pakistan and Benghazi are in the process of signing a major defense memorandum of understanding that could include the supply of 16 to 18 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, in a…

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Systemic Abuse in Libya’s Fuel Sector Redirects Subsidised Stocks to Multiple Markets, Including Malta

A surge in state-sanctioned fuel smuggling between 2022 and 2024 cost the Libyan people about $20bn (£15bn) in lost revenue – an alarming sum that demands decisive international sanctions against…

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Libya urged to shut migrant detention centres at U.N. meeting

Libya was urged at a U.N. meeting on Tuesday to close detention centres where rights groups say migrants and refugees have been tortured, abused and sometimes killed. Multiple states including…

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Libyan Security Forces Apprehend Warlord at Center of Controversy in Italy

Libyan warlord Osama Al-Masri Njeem, controversially released from jail by Italian authorities in January, was arrested Wednesday in Tripoli on charges of torture and violence against prisoners. “As sufficient evidence…

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Red Crescent Confirms Fatalities After Migrant Vessel Capsizes Near Libya

The bodies of at least 18 migrants, who died when their boat capsized west of Libya's capital Tripoli, were recovered while over 90 survivors were rescued, a local Red Crescent…

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MEPs call for end to EU support for all Libyan security forces

Thirty-eight Members of the European Parliament from four political groups have urged the European Commission to halt all funding and cooperation with Libyan security forces, accusing them of violent actions…

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EU-backed Libyan coastguard increasing violent attacks at sea, report finds

Libyan militias have increased attacks on migrants and humanitarian workers in the central Mediterranean in recent years, according to a new report by search-and-rescue NGO Sea-Watch. The report, published Tuesday,…

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UPDATED: Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to 5 years in prison

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to 5 years in prison after being found guilty in a case relating to whether his 2007 presidential campaign received illicit donations from…

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European Commission dismisses NGOs’ call to stop financing of Libyan Coast Guard

The European Commission has dismissed a call from 42 civil society organisations for it to stop financing the so-called Libyan Coast Guards whose agents are deployed on the country’s coast…

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EU Commission labels alleged Libyan attack on NGO ship ‘worrying development’

The European Commission considers an alleged Libyan coast guard shooting on the NGO boat Ocean Viking, which occurred on Sunday, a “worrying development”. This is one of several documented occasions…

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At Least 370 Dead, 300 Missing on Central Mediterranean Migrant Route in 2025

At least 370 people have died and 300 remain missing on the Central Mediterranean migrant route between January 1 and August 9, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)…

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Athens wary of Libya uncertainty

Greece remains wary of mounting instability in Libya, as unconfirmed reports suggest the Libyan parliament in Benghazi may be preparing to ratify the illegal 2019 maritime accord with Turkey. The…

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Libyan coast guards train in Greece under plan to stem migrant flows

Libyan coast guard officers have started training on the Greek island of Crete as part of a plan to strengthen cooperation and help the two countries stem a surge in…

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Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties

Greece has invited Libya's internationally recognised government in Tripoli to start talks on demarcating exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said late on Wednesday. The…

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EU Migration Commissioner says he is ready to negotiate with Khalifa Haftar

The European Union must remain ready to negotiate with Russia-aligned Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar in order to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from further weaponizing migration, EU Migration Commissioner Magnus…

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Libyan ICC war crimes suspect arrested in Germany

German authorities have arrested a Libyan war crimes suspect accused of being a senior official for a notorious prison where inmates were routinely tortured and sometimes sexually abused, the International…

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Tripoli Stonewalls Athens on EEZ as Turkish Influence Prevails

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis visited Libya’s capital without achieving substantial progress on maritime boundary delimitation, the key issue affecting relations between Athens and Tripoli’s government. According to diplomatic sources,…

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British Diplomatic Personnel in Libya Come Under Fire as Instability Deepens

British diplomats came under fire in Tripoli late last month, as Libya is wracked by rising instability and geopolitical tension. At around 6 a.m. on June 26, two U.K. embassy…

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EU Diplomatic Setback Coincides with Heightened Military Activity Near Tripoli

The United Nations on Wednesday urged all Libyan factions to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and military maneuvers around Tripoli, warning of the risk of renewed conflict, as tensions mount following…

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Greece to suspend processing asylum applications from north Africa for three months

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has just told the parliament that Greece will suspend processing asylum applications for migrants arriving on boat from north Africa. In comments reported by Kathimerini,…

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Libya’s eastern-based government bars entry of EU migration commissioner, three ministers including Malta’s

Libyan officials ordered EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner and several senior European ministers to leave the country. cdBrunner, on a diplomatic mission with government ministers from Italy, Greece and Malta,…

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BP, Shell to study hydrocarbon potential at three Libyan oilfields

Oil Majors BP and Shell agreed with Libya's National Oil Corp (NOC) to conduct studies for hydrocarbon exploration and development at three Libyan oilfields, NOC said in a statement. Libya,…

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Limpet Mine May Have Struck Greek Tanker Near Libya

A limpet mine may have caused a blast that damaged a Greek tanker sailing off Libya's coast last week, the fifth such incident to hit commercial shipping in the region…

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No injuries or pollution after explosion at oil tanker off Libya

A Greek-managed oil tanker carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil suffered an explosion off Libya on June 27 but no injuries or pollution were reported, a spokesperson for…

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Turkey to start exploring for gas off Libya

Turkey is moving slowly and methodically in its developing relations with Libya so as not to disrupt the delicate balance it has achieved with the United States, as is evident…

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Libya objects to Greek tender for hydrocarbon exploration off Crete

Libya's internationally recognised government of national unity has objected to Greece's approval of an international tender for hydrocarbon exploration off the island of Crete, saying some of the blocks infringe…

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Greece sending Navy ships to monitor migrant vessels off Libya

Greece is planning to sent Navy ships outside Libya’s territorial waters “as a precaution” to monitor migrant flows, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday, during a regular meeting with the President…

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249 Dead in Central Mediterranean So Far in 2025: IOM

At least 249 people have died while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean Sea so far this year, the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration said. Another 226 migrants remain missing…

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Sudanese army retreats from Libyan border after alleging Haftar attack

The Sudanese army retreated from the Libya-Egypt-Sudan border triangle area, it said on Wednesday, a day after it accused forces loyal to eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar of an…

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Trump bans nationals from 12 countries, citing security concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning the nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists"…

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Libya’s eastern-based government says it may announce force majeure on oil fields, ports

Libya's eastern-based government said it may announce a force majeure on oil fields and ports citing "repeated assaults on the National Oil Corporation (NOC)." The government in Benghazi is not…

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Reports of NATO drone on ‘unusual’ patrol off Libyan coast

A NATO surveillance drone carried out an extended reconnaissance mission off Libya’s coast after experiencing communication problems during a flight towards the Black Sea, according to Italian aviation monitoring website…

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People smuggler jailed in UK for arranging boats from Libya to Italy

An Egyptian national who helped smuggle thousands of migrants into Europe from north Africa was on Tuesday jailed for 25 years in a London court. Ahmed Ramadan Mohamad Ebid, 42,…

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US embassy in Tripoli denies report of planned relocation of Palestinians to Libya

The U.S. embassy in Libya denied on Sunday a report that the U.S. government was working on a plan to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya. On Thurdsay,…

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U.S. Envoy Signals Renewed Engagement in Libya Amid Escalating Violence

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about Washington's role in resolving Libya's protracted crisis, stating Thursday that success is forthcoming. In an interview with The Atlantic, Witkoff remarked,…

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Gunbattles resume in Tripoli despite ceasefire

Fresh gunbattles erupted in the Libyan capital between two powerful armed groups, a security official said, a day after authorities declared the fighting over. Clashes flared between the Radaa force…

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Libya fighting calms after truce announced

The worst fighting in Libya's capital for years calmed on Wednesday an hour after the government announced a ceasefire, Tripoli residents said, with no immediate statement from authorities on how…

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Gunfire erupts in Tripoli after armed group leader’s death

Armed clashes erupted on Monday evening and gunfire has echoed in the city center and other parts of the Libyan capital Tripoli following reports that an armed group leader was…

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U.S. judge blocks Trump’s Libya deportation plan

A U.S. judge said any effort by the Trump administration to deport migrants to Libya would clearly violate a prior court order barring officials from swiftly deporting migrants to countries…

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U.S. may soon deport migrants to Libya on military flight

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration may deport migrants to Libya for the first time this week, three U.S. officials said, as part of his immigration crackdown and despite Washington's past…

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Lockerbie bombing whistleblower arrested in Libya

A Libyan writer and politician who published documents linking his country's intelligence service to the Lockerbie bombing has been arrested on national security charges. Samir Shegwara was taken into custody…

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Frontex warns migration complexities influenced by Russia’s actions in Libya and the Mediterranean

The European Union's border security agency, Frontex, has issued a stark warning in its latest annual brief for 2024, outlining the increasing complexity of migration challenges across the continent. While…

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Bodies of migrants recovered in two locations in Libya

At least 29 bodies of migrants have been recovered in two locations in the southeast and west of Libya, a security directorate and the Libyan Red Crescent said on Thursday.…

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Italy under fire for releasing Libyan warlord

The International Criminal Court has reminded Italy of its obligation to cooperate fully after it let warlord Ossama al-Masri return to Libya. Al-Masri is accused of murder, rape and torture.…

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Italy releases and deports senior Libyan police officer it arrested on ICC warrant

Italian police arrested a Libyan warlord on a warrant from the International Criminal Court, but an Italian tribunal refused to approve the arrest and he was instead sent back to…

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