Prime Minister of Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh has suspended Najla Mangoush, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the GNU, following her meeting with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen. This action was reported by Reuters, citing an official statement.
The suspension comes with the initiation of an investigation against Mangoush. The revelation of the meeting between the foreign ministers of Libya and Israel triggered minor protests in Libya.
Reportedly, the meeting took place in Rome with the facilitation of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. This marked the first diplomatic dialogue between the foreign ministers of Israel and Libya. During their meeting, Cohen and Mangoush discussed historical connections between their countries and explored the potential for bilateral collaboration. The conversation also touched on the possibility of Israel providing humanitarian aid to Libya.
In January 2022, there were media reports suggesting that Dbeibeh had met with the head of Mossad, but his office denied these claims. In a separate development, Libyan authorities recently announced that Iran is working to reopen its embassy in Tripoli.
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Based on materials from TASS