Morocco, UAE, Israel align with Haftar forces in Libya
Rabat, Abu Dhabi, and Tel Aviv are converging around eastern Libya's military leadership.
Morocco has intensified its military and security cooperation with Khalifa Haftar's forces in eastern Libya in recent months. This move occurs amid regional rivalries and shifting power dynamics concerning the Libyan marshal's succession. The cooperation aligns with a tripartite coordination between Rabat, Abu Dhabi, and Israel, whose interests focus on supporting Haftar's camp.
Khaled Haftar, chief of staff for the eastern Libyan forces, visited Morocco from October 11 to 15, touring military installations and an airbase. Following this, a high-level security meeting in Benghazi on October 22 was co-chaired by Morocco's DGED director and the Libyan intelligence chief, with Saddam Haftar's presence indicating political dimensions beyond counter-terrorism discussions.
International media reported a meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu and Saddam Haftar in Abu Dhabi on September 29. Abu Dhabi has historically supported Haftar's forces, and Israel is developing contacts with family members. Morocco, a strategic partner of the UAE and linked to Israel by normalization agreements, is strengthening its military and security ties with the eastern Libyan command, fostering political and security cooperation with regional implications.
Why it mattersAlgeria is affected by the growing military and security cooperation between Morocco, the UAE, and Israel with Khalifa Haftar's forces in eastern Libya, which alters regional power dynamics.