Palestine commends Libya's stand against normalizing relations with Israel

On Monday, Palestine expressed gratitude towards Libya for reaffirming its stance against the normalization of relations with Israel.

Earlier in the day, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh relieved Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush of her duties after she held a clandestine meeting last week with her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, in Rome.

Dbeibeh also paid a visit to the Palestinian Embassy in Tripoli to underscore his government’s unwavering support for the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation.

He "reiterated his unwavering backing for the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to regain their complete rights and establish their sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital," stated the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.

The ministry further conveyed its appreciation for Dbeibeh's declarations and his personal presence at the embassy.

The inaugural public meeting between the Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers has stirred a wave of anger and protests within Libya.

The Libyan Foreign Ministry depicted the encounter as "informal" and "unplanned," clarifying that it encompassed no discussions, pacts, or consultations.

However, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, citing unnamed Israeli officials, contended that the meeting was "strategically coordinated" between the two nations at the highest echelons and transpired with the cognizance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Libya neither recognizes Israel nor maintains diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. The act is prohibited by law.

Six Arab nations have cemented diplomatic ties with Israel, commencing with Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994, and, more recently, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco in 2020.