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p:first-of-type { font-weight: bold; }Breaking — Middle East & North Africa
CAIRO/TRIPOLI — Haftar’s Libyan National Army withdrew from the joint military committee in Benghazi on Tuesday, collapsing a 72-hour ceasefire mechanism brokered by Egypt and the UAE just 48 hours after it was announced, according to three regional officials and Libya’s GNA-aligned Interior Ministry.
The breakdown came after an LNA sniper shot dead a GNA checkpoint commander in Benghazi’s central Al-Mansur district. Both sides traded blame for the violations — the LNA said the GNA had repositioned artillery, the GNA said the sniper was a rogue element acting without orders. Egypt’s intelligence chief flew to Benghazi and then to Tripoli in a 12-hour shuttle diplomacy push that ultimately failed. The UN mission in Libya called for an immediate restoration of the ceasefire.
The collapse raises serious questions about Egypt’s ability to enforce compliance from Haftar, whose forces have repeatedly violated agreed ceasefires with impunity over the past four years. The UAE, which provides the LNA with drone surveillance and logistics support, has not commented publicly. Italy’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing deep concern and calling on all parties to return to the negotiating table. The European Union imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on three LNA commanders implicated in the ceasefire violations.
The ceasefire collapse coincides with Libya’s oil output being constrained by force majeure at four major fields — Es Sider, El Feel, Waha, and Sharara — contributing to a 12 percent drop in national production since May. European gas markets reacted with a 3.8 percent spike on the TTF Dutch hub benchmark.
Written by Layla Hassan, Middle East Correspondent
Layla Hassan
Layla Hassan covers Middle East politics, conflict, and diplomacy from the Gulf to the Levant.