The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemned the military escalation in Benghazi, the UNSMIL official website reported on Sunday.

"The timing of airstrikes clearly aims at undermining the on-going efforts to end the conflict," the UNSMIL said in a press release.

"Benghazi has suffered for too long. Too many civilians have been killed or wounded and more than 100,000 have been displaced by the conflict that has raged in the city for over a year now."

The latest air offensive will add to the suffering of the city’s population at a time when the Libyan people are preparing to mark Eid al Adha. This latest escalation will almost certainly deny them the hope they would have had to celebrate the Eid festivities in peace and calm, the Mission said.

"Developments on the ground in Libya over the course of the past year have clearly shown that a military solution is not a viable option in Libya. Whether in Benghazi or elsewhere in the country, armed hostilities have shown time and again that they can only bring destruction and suffering for the Libyan people."

UNSMIL said the airstrikes are a clear attempt to undermine and derail the on-going efforts to end the conflict at a time when the negotiations have entered a final and most critical stage. The only solution must be within the framework of the on-going dialogue process and a political settlement that ensures inclusion, balance and consensus.

UNSMIL calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Benghazi and across Libya, and on the warring parties to desist from any escalation or counterattack, and to exercise utmost restraint to give the on-going dialogue in Skhirat the chance to successfully conclude in the coming hours.

Source: MENA