Israeli strikes against Gaza ‘ugliest form of terrorism’: Libyan prime minister

By Muhammed Semiz

TRIPOLI (AA) - Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip are "the ugliest form of terrorism," Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh said Saturday.

Dbeibeh said the attacks will have serious consequences for global stability when he addressed the 42-member meeting of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.

He demanded an immediate halt to the attacks in Gaza and crimes against the Palestinian people.

After the meeting, Dbeibeh met Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud and discussed military cooperation between the two countries and the fight against terrorism.

Saudi Arabia announced at the end of 2015 that the IMCTC was established with the participation of 34 countries with its headquarters in Riyadh.

With the increase in new participation in the coalition, the number of members reached 42.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 that has killed at least 27,238 Palestinians and injured 66,452 following a surprise attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

South Africa filed a genocide case in December against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The court on Jan. 26 found South Africa's claim that Israel is committing genocide plausible. It issued an interim order urging Israel to stop obstructing aid deliveries into Gaza and to improve the humanitarian situation.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar