Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced their support for the statements of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi regarding Libya, while the Supreme Council of State and the Libyan Army of the Government of Conciliation and the House of Representatives in Tripoli expressed their rejection of these statements and considered them a "blatant interference" in Libyan affairs.
Riyadh said in a statement published by the official Saudi agency, that Saudi Arabia stands with Egypt and its right to defend its borders and people, and expresses its support for what was stated in the Egyptian President's statements regarding "Egypt's right to protect its western borders" with Libya.
Saudi Arabia called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and respond to Sisi's calls for a comprehensive solution that confirms the safety and security of Libyan lands.
For its part, the UAE expressed its support for what was stated in Al-Sisi's speech, and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation affirmed, in a statement, that "the UAE stands beside Egypt in all its measures to protect its security and stability from the repercussions of the disturbing developments in Libya."
It commended what it considered "Cairo's keenness to inject blood of brothers from the Libyan people, create urgent conditions for a ceasefire, and start negotiations for a comprehensive political process under the auspices of the United Nations."
Libyan refused
Libyan, President of the Supreme Council of State in Libya, Khaled al-Mashri, considered President al-Sisi's statements "a violation of sovereignty" and a "blatant interference" in Libyan affairs.
The spokesman for the Sirte and Al-Jafra Operations Room, Brigadier Abdul Hadi Dara, also considered that Sisi’s statements were “a blatant interference and a clear declaration of war against Libya.”
He emphasized that the forces of the internationally recognized government, intent on liberating the entire region from the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Hifter and his supporters.
In turn, the Libyan parliament in Tripoli called on the government to be fully prepared to respond to President Sisi’s “threats” politically and practically, calling for this “aggression” to be taken seriously and to study all options available to respond in the appropriate time and place.
For his part, member of the Presidential Council of the Accord Government, Mohamed Ammari Zayed, affirmed that "there are no red lines within the borders and lands of Libya," rejecting what he described as "an attempt to divide the Libyan people and geography."
"We strongly reject what was mentioned in Al-Sisi's speech, and we consider it a continuation of the war against the Libyan people and interference in its affairs ... The Al-Jafra is a red line," said Amari Zayed - in a statement posted on Facebook in response to the Egyptian president's statements.
The United Nations considers the Libyan government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, the internationally recognized legal authority in Libya.
Red line
The Egyptian President had said that any direct intervention of Egypt in Libya has now acquired international legitimacy, either for self-defense or based on the sole legitimate authority elected in Libya, which is the House of Representatives (in Tobruk).
"Our goals will be to protect the western borders, and quickly support the restoration of security and stability on the Libyan scene, as they are part of the Egyptian national security," Sisi added.
He also affirmed that "Sirte and Al-Jafra crossed a red line for Egypt," and that he would defend Libya except its sons, expressing Egypt's readiness "to arm and train the tribesmen (the Libyan)."
Diplomatic mobility
These reactions to Al-Sisi's statements coincide with a continuous diplomatic mobility to resolve the Libyan crisis and try to search for a political solution to it, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Turkey gave birth to Gawishoglu - in a phone call today - to settle the Libyan crisis.
A statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the contact came on the initiative of the Turkish side and focused on the need to create conditions for a ceasefire and start the process of political settlement based on the decision of the UN Security Council in this regard and the outputs of the Berlin Conference.
Gawishoglu said - during a press conference in Antalya today - that retired Major General Khalifa Hifter should not have any role in the future management of the Libyan state, considering that the political solution is the only way out of the crisis.
On the other hand, the President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Fayez al-Sarraj, and the head of the Supreme State Council, Khaled al-Mashri, along with an accompanying delegation, began an official visit to Algeria at the invitation of its President Abdel Majid Tabboun.
Sources in the Al-Wefaq government told Al-Jazeera that the purpose of the visit is to consult with the Algerian side on developments in the Libyan arena, and to discuss ways to solve the crisis.
Algeria had earlier received the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tobruk Aqila Saleh, very much.