Protests broke out in Libya after Israel said its foreign minister met with Libyan counterpart, even though the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations.
Libyan media broke the news on Monday.
Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibeh suspended Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush following her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, according to the news portal al-Wasat Gate.
Meanwhile, the Libyan Foreign Ministry disputed the claim that Mangoush had held formal talks with Cohen, stating that the meeting in Rome was informal, unofficial, and unplanned.
The ministry said in an online statement that it completely and rejected any normalization of relations with Israel.
Under a 1957 Libyan law, any form of engagement with Israel, with penalties of up to nine years in prison.
The Libyan news site Al-Wasat reported on Monday that the foreign minister had flown to Turkey on a government plane, citing security circles.
It also added that the minister was able to leave the airport with the assistance of the Internal Security Agency.
The parliament in eastern Libya called an emergency session on Monday to discuss what it termed as the “legal and ethical crime against the Libyan people,’’ referring to the reported encounter.
Protesters reportedly torched the residence of Dbeibeh on Sunday night and demanded his resignation.
It was unclear if Dbeibeh was present at the residence when it was set on fire.
Libya has been unstable since the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Numerous militias are still vying for power and influence in the oil-rich country.
The conflict is further fuelled by foreign states.
Currently, two rival governments are vying for power in Libya.
So far, all attempts to resolve the conflicts have been unsuccessful.