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Rival sides in politically divided Libya have agreed to set up a committee to oversee the sharing of oil revenues.

Eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar had threated to force the shut-down of oil production unless the UN-backed Tripoli-based government agreed to address the issue.

Libya sits on Africa’s biggest oil reserves but friction between administrations in the east and west have severely hampered production.

Crude oil provides the main source of revenue for the country, which has been plagued by unrest since a Nato-backed revolt in 2011 toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

AFPCopyright: AFP

The Tunisian authorities should to immediately halt what have been described as "collective expulsions" of sub-Saharan migrants, the New York-based organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

HRW says that in the past few days Tunisia has expelled several hundred black African migrants and asylum seekers, including children and pregnant women from the port city Sfax, close to the Libyan border.

It says they have been left stranded and in dire conditions in a remote desert area.

“The Tunisian government should halt collective expulsions and urgently enable humanitarian access to the African migrants and asylum seekers already expelled to a dangerous area... with little food and no medical assistance,” said Lauren Seibert, refugee and migrant rights researcher at HRW.

The recent unrest was triggered by the killing of a Tunisian man during a brawl between Tunisians and migrants in Sfax, on 3 July. Tension continued to escalate, leading to a surge in racially motivated attacks.

HRW urged the Tunisian government to conduct a thorough investigation into the reported abuses and hold the responsible security forces accountable.

Tensions have increased in Tunisia since President Kais Saied alleged that the migrants were part of a conspiracy to change the demographic composition of the North African country.

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Algeria has announced a $30m (£23.5m) aid package to the Palestinian Authority for the reconstruction of the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement made on the Algerian presidency Facebook page and website on 6 July.

The decision was taken by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune "in the wake of the barbaric criminal aggression carried out by the Israeli occupation forces against the town of Jenin and its camp", the statement noted.

"Algeria expresses once again its everlasting solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle," it added.

The Israeli Defence Forces described its action in Jenin as a "counter-terrorism operation", saying they were targeting weapons stores and manufacturing facilities belonging to militant groups in the area.

Hundreds of Israeli troops backed by drone strikes entered Jenin refugee camp - where almost 24,000 people live in an area of less than half a square kilometre - on Monday morning, triggering intense gun battles with armed Palestinians inside.

Palestinian health officials said 12 Palestinians were killed over the next two days, including four children, and that more than 100 others were injured. The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was killed as its forces started to withdraw on Tuesday night.

The 48-hour operation was described as the largest in the West Bank since 2002, with thousands of Palestinians fleeing the city as fighting intensified, causing major destruction to the camp.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been attacked in the Tunisian city of Sfax, with dozens reportedly wounded.

The unrest was triggered by the killing of a Tunisian man on Monday during an altercation with several migrants.

AFPCopyright: AFP

A non-governmental group said that in reprisal attacks, some migrants were thrown from balconies and others attacked with swords.

Women and children were among those targeted.

Witnesses say that dozens have been forced out of the city, which is a key departure point for people seeking to enter the European Union by sailing to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

More on this topic:

• Tunisian fisherman finds dead bodies in his net
• Why Tunisia's president picked on sub-Saharan African migrants