European countries 'ready to sanction Turkey' over Libya as GNA prepares for new offensive

Photo: AA/File

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The Government of National Accord (GNA) forces in Libya have dispatched military vehicles Saturday (July 18) to the west of Sirte province in preparation for a new offensive.

A large number of military vehicles reached Abu Grein as part of the "Operation Paths to Victory," which was launched to capture the central city of Sirte and Jufra from Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, citing GNA sources.

Haftar's forces have launched attacks on Tripoli, the capital, and other parts of northwestern Libya since April 2019.

The UN-recognized GNA, with the support of Turkey, has recently pushed the LNA out of Tripoli and the strategic city of Tarhuna.

The new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts at a long-term political settlement failed.

The GNA forces, which is deployed to the west of strategically important Sirte and Jufra, emphasized its determination to capture Sirte and Jufra.

Possible sanctions

On the same day as the GNA announced the operation, France, Germany and Italy said for the first time that they would use sanctions against countries that continued to violate a UN arms embargo on Libya.

France's President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte urged "all foreign actors to end their increasing interference and to fully respect the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council" in a joint statement after meeting in Brussels.

"We are ready to consider the possible use of sanctions if the breaches of the embargo at sea, on land or in the air continue, and look forward to the proposals that the High Representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy will make in this regard," they said.

Turkey's intervention in early 2020 has changed the course of the war in favor of the GNA.

"We share serious concerns about the mounting military tensions in this country and the increased risk of regional escalation," the statement further said. "We therefore call on all the Libyan parties and their foreign supporters to immediately cease the fighting and put an end to the ongoing military escalation across the country." (PT/VK)