Pro-Palestinian Libyans protest against informal meet with Israel diplomat

Protests broke out in Libya after the country’s foreign minister Najla al-Mangoush informally met with her Israeli counterpart.

Protesters were seen burning rubber tyres, blocking roads and rallying the street with Palestinian flags.

The Libyan PM has suspended Mangoush and advised a probe against her, criticising the diplomatic encounter in Rome. Meanwhile, the Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen welcomed the unplanned meeting.

“I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for relations between the two countries,” Cohen said in a statement. He said the meeting was hosted by Italy’s foreign minister in Rome, news agency AP reported.

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A Libyan government official said normalization of relations between the countries was first discussed in a meeting between the Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and CIA Director William Burns, who visited the Libyan capital in January.

(With AP inputs)