haftar forces have taken control of the area south of bengahzi. not just to end the suffering of the libyan people, but to prevent isil fight freers gaining any more ground. al jazeera. >> still ahead on the al jazeera news hour, macedonia stop thousands from crossing the greek border. we'll be live with the latest. >>> we'll hear from lewis hamilton as pre-season testing begins. >> these people have decided that today they will be arrested. >> i know that i'm being surveilled. >> people are not getting the care that they need. >> this is a crime against humanity. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> what do we want? >> justice. >> when do we want it? >> now. >> explosions going on... we're not quite sure - >> is that an i.e.d.? >> hello again, the fop stories on the news hour. world powers have reached the deal of hostilities in syria. the agreement calls on warring groups to end fighting by noon damascus time on february 26th. afghan government forces have pulled out of a second districts in helmand province effective

retired army general haftar has been leading force that is back the government in tobruk. added to this, isil increased its attacks over the past 12 months, taking over oil fields, kidnapping and killing hostages and just a few days ago, the armed group released video which appears to show the downing of a fighter jet. the united nations has been trying to get a political agreement signed for years, initially through its envoy leone. leone was widely discredited after offered a high paying job by the united arab emirates, one of haftar's main backers in the region. since hess replacement last year, progress appears to have been made. unity talks led to a presidential council formed a few weeks ago. libya's politicians urge the world to support the newly formed unity government. >> we call on owl regional powers to support the libyan people's efforts by backing this unit government. we call on the international community to do the same in supporting the people of libya. >> this week marks five years since lebens took to the streets in a revolution. they had hoped to bring a

the air base has been under control b of the forces loyal to general haftar. let's get more on this story with a security analyst. thank you for coming in to the studio. why are there special forces there. and what are they going to be doing? >> they have been with the he emergence of the islamic state as a major threat the french think they have to support the general haftar because he is the only player and the only one who could really root out islamic state while we wait for western military intervention over the next few months. the french are taking the lead sending their special forces to help them as much as they can. >> of course, the french do have previous military activity in libya? >> yes, very much so. the two leaders pushed for the demise of gaddafi. but at the same time the french understand that libya is a much more bigger threat to them than. syria and iraq. that's why i've seen france taking the lead and saying look, we cannot allow the islamic state to take over in libya. it means that our allies in the region namely algeria are on the brin

should assist the libyan national army, general haftar, and other than i.s.i.l. whose side do you select? >> i don't think we necessarily have to pick a side. i think the role the united states needs to take on is to essentially knock heads and get these groups together and force them to form sim typ some type y government. i know that's easier said than done. but the bar is lower, these are more or less all sunni arabs, don't have the iranian influence problems you have in the gulf, you don't have any shia, again only small groups of ethnic minorities. looking objectively, it's a low happening fruit easy problem for region which again still makes it difficult. >> when we heard about libya it was around the benghazi affair where our board and some other americans were killed. to what point do yo extent do yo that event? >> the group that carried out or that was mainly involved in that attack was sharia in libya, which is affiliated to lib ya c, linked to the libyan dawn, along with al qaeda in the islamic megrheb. and scared international parties away because the

general haftar has been leading military operations in tibruk. unity talks led to a presidential council being formed last month. last wreak they formed an unity government that still has to be endorsed by both sides. as the talks continue, so does the fighting hafta forces have taken control about 150 kilometers south of ben good di benghazi, but isil continues to be a major threat. not only. >> a moment here on al jazeera, protests in macedonia where. afghan refugees are stranded. >> here we have found 30 people have sold theirs kidneys in the kidney syndicate. social change. >> i feel like i'm suppose to do something, >> breaking down barriers. >> sometimes i have to speak when other people say be quiet. >> shaping our future. >> i actually am committed to a different, better, stronger, healthier america. >> i lived that character. >> we will be able to see change. >> the only live national news show at 11:00 eastern. >> we start with breaking news. >> let's take a closer look. >> we go to the global headlines at this hour. massive clean up in

. >>> hundreds of thousands of supporters of general haftar have rallied in baghdad they told 34 seats in parliament and said that a democratic government should now be formed. a journalist activist has ended his hunger strike. he remains in custody without charge. under the deal reached with israel he'll now be released in may. we have reports from west jerusalem. >> this is just minutes after he ended the hunger strike. the palestinianen journalist and activists was arrested in late november and was put in administrative detention which is imprisonment for six months he newible indefinitely. >> thanks to god i will be free because that have unity. >> earlier this month this video cuffed to his hospital bed calling out in pain went viral. it protesters demanded that the government free him and all prisoners held in administrative detention. the united nations human rights agency called it legally questionable, and it was discussed between palestinian president mahmood abbas and u.s. secretary of state john kerry. last month israel supreme court suspended him because of his deteriorati

in february 2014 haftar turned foe of gaddafi fanneded the coalition be dissolved. he sparked another civil war. a unity government seems close to being formed. our correspondent looks at the difficulties it faces. >> reporter: libya's leaders are under mounting pressure to end the infighting and form a unified government. that many hope will end the political divide. libya has two governments. one in the west and the other in the east. the tripoli based one controls western libya, an influence that stretch from to zaltan. their rivals control most of the east, an area that stretches from the coastal town of bardia to ras lanuf. it controls areas in benghazi. there are stricts held by an armed group that calls for the implementation of islamic law. it is i.s.i.l. that has recently made major territorial gains. it controls an area stretching from sidra to sirte. the international community is looking into ways to stem the rise of i.s.i.l., including the u.s. military force. europe has been struggling with the growing number of refugees who have travelled through liby