New evidence is shearing a light in the background of the ban on entering Eastern Libya by EU EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner and the three European Ministers by the Benghazi authorities.

In a statement, Euobserver’s news media reveals behind -the -scenes pressures by Khalid Haphtar to recognize the de facto power of the Libyan national army and the government of Osama Hamad.

The report states that after pressure from reporters in Brussels, the European Commission said on Wednesday that the delegation had planned to meet with the Libyan Arab armed forces, also known as Libya’s national army (LNA).

The Commission refused to provide details, citing protocol issues as a reason why the delegation, consisting of Brunner and the Ministers of Interior of Greece, Italy and Malta, was described as “unwanted” (Persona non grata) by the Prime Minister of Eastern Eastern.

The delegation was due to meet with Tobruk Hafetar, head of the Kremlin -backed LNA, according to the same report.

However, a Libyan source, which demanded anonymity for security reasons, said Hafetz’s son Khalid had put pressure on behalf of Hamad to expand the meeting to include their own interior and foreign ministers.

“Due to the close relationship between East Libya Prime Minister Osama Hamad, and his son Haphtar, Khalid, who is responsible for his father’s security, Hamad intervened and asked the government to be present at the meeting,” the source said.

The request was made after the European delegation, “Team Europe” had already met with Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbayba, who is leading the internationally recognized government in Tripoli.

The same source said that the intention behind Hamad’s intervention was to emphasize that any agreement with the Dbaiba government would have no real response, as the actual power that controls the main migratory routes in Libya is the administration of LNA.

“Hamad’s insistence on the participation of government representatives in the meeting was an attempt to get some kind of recognition, albeit informal, from the European side for his own government. It seems that Khalid Haphtar has managed to convince his father of this tactic, “the source said.

Hamad’s decision to declare the Persona Non Grata delegation was announced shortly after the meeting of Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, with Haftar in Benghazi.

Euobserver then reports that Brunner and the three interior ministers were forced to leave the country from Benina International Airport.

At the same time, the report points out that the diplomatic episode is noted at a time when more and more people depart from Tobruk, East Libya, desperately trying to cross the Mediterranean with boats to reach Greece.

Athens says about 8,000 immigrants have arrived in Crete since early 2025, which has sounded an alarm to the Greek authorities.

The other son of Happere, Saddam Haphtar, is head of Taric Bin Ziyand Brigade and Chief of Staff of the land forces.

A unit called “20/20”, allegedly linked to the Brigade, is allegedly responsible for the movement of immigrants through Tobrouk’s naval base in the northeast of Libya, near the border with Egypt.