"has launched a 501(c)(4), a non-profit organization concerned with social welfare meant to bring the crisis of the Israeli military Occupation over the Palestinian people to the forefront of the 2020 Campaign." It said it founded the new arm in order to "expose the occupation as a moral crisis within the American Jewish community, end the weaponization of anti-Semitism in the political debate over Israel, and create political space for leaders who will stand up for the freedom and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians."

• Israel's bureaucratic nightmare designed to drive out East Jerusalem's Palestinians
• What 'Israel's right to exist' means to Palestinians
• The BDS movement: A 'strategic threat of the first order' to Israel
• Boycotting works: Leaked report highlights Israel lobby's anti-BDS failures and backfires
• Together, we prevail: Message from BDS activist undergoing Israeli interrogation
• U of Sydney academics back BDS as Israel guns down Palestinian protesters
• Israel criminalizes conscience: Task force set up to crush foreign BDS activists
• Israeli Justice Ministry directly involved in secret international 'lawfare' activities against BDS movement

The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has begun the second stage of the offensive on the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Ali Qaidi, a member of the country's Tobruk-based parliament, said on Monday.

"The [LNA] forces are advancing on Tripoli for a new day of the Operation Flood of Dignity, that is, as part of the second phase of the military operation after the army has achieved most of its goals," Qaidi said.

Earlier in July, the LNA said that it had successfully completed the first stage of the offensive on Tripoli.

Since early April, the LNA has been engaged in an offensive to gain control over Tripoli. The UN-backed Government of National Accord has been waging a counteroffensive to prevent the LNA from capturing the city.

Libya has been torn apart by conflict since the long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. The eastern part of the country is governed by the parliament, backed by the LNA and located in Tobruk. The Government of National Accord, headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.

• Libyan national army DEFEATING the UN-installed puppet government and its terrorists
• Libya: More War And Reconciliation Among The Tribes

"It's ironic to see government security forces actually protecting Guaido, a figure who is calling for the government to be toppled and attempting to fragment the security services from within," Blumenthal, editor of the Grayzone Project, said.

"It's also ironic because we constantly hear about Venezuela as some kind of ruthless Communist dictatorship. But here you have a situation that will certainly not be tolerated in the US or other countries, like Russia, China or Germany... What kind of dictatorship is this? Well, apparently it's not a very effective one," the journalist said.

According to the chief operating officer, some of the combatants trained in the US- controlled Syrian Al-Tanf zone are being transferred in US Air Force helicopters to the Euphrates region.

The best trained saboteurs are sent to areas controlled by the Syrian government to destabilize the situation.

"Their mission is to sabotage, destroy the oil and gas infrastructure and carry out terrorist actions against government units. The presence of such groups is noted in the As-Suwayda, Palmira and Al-Bukamal areas," said Rudskoy.

Russian intelligence has also revealed information about the secret transfer and concentration of fighters in the southwest part of Syria's ceasefire Idlib, and preparations are being made for an offensive.

"Intelligence is currently recording the covert transfer and concentration of fighters in the southwest part of the ceasefire zone. At least 500 terrorists from Tahrir al-Sham have been relocated from the northern parts of Idlib province. Preparations are being made for an offensive," said Rudskoy.

In the letters, made public over the weekend, Melzer appealed to the governments of the UK and Sweden not to surrender Assange to the US justice system, where the 48-year-old will likely be "tortured." At the same time, he demanded a fair trial for Assange from the US.

"Given the strongly perceptible public and official prejudice held against Mr. Assange in the United States, there are serious reasons to doubt that he would receive a fair trial before an impartial judicial body as required under human rights law," Melzer wrote.

"I underscore my most serious concern that, if Mr. Assange were to be extradited or otherwise surrendered to the United States... he would be exposed to a real risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

The UN official also confirmed the deteriorating physical and mental health of the journalist, who showed "all symptoms typical for prolonged and sustained exposure to severe psychological stress, anxiety and related mental and emotional suffering in an environment highly conducive to major depressive and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD)."

Unless Assange gains access to a psychiatrist, his mental health could deteriorate further, Melzer warned, stressing that "Assange's health condition and cognitive and sensory capacity have been, and still are, significantly impaired."

From Melzer's interview with RT on May 31, 2019: