Libya says it accepts temporary truce for Eid Al Adha

Libyan government announces temporary ceasefire for Eid Al Adha

A Libyan woman receives a cash donation from a charity at a gym in the capital Tripoli on August 7, 2019, during a gathering of people displaced from areas subject to clashes with militias south of thShow more

Libya’s internationally recognised government said Friday it accepted a truce for the Muslim Eid holidays in its war with eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar.

In a statement on Friday it said it had accepted the UN's ceasefire proposal during Eid al-Adha.

The United Nations has been pushing for a cease-fire between the government in Tripoli and fighters under Haftar, who in April launched a campaign to take the city.

It was not clear whether fighting over the capital would actually cease after four months of battle that has displaced more than 105,000 people, according to the United Nations.

The UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) earlier on Friday called on the Tripoli government and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) to allow a ceasefire during the Eid holiday which starts on Saturday and ends on Tuesday.

The ceasefire would also include a ban on air strikes, the Tripol-based government said in a statement, citing humanitarian grounds for the move.

There was no immediate comment from the LNA,

UNSMIL will be responsible for monitoring any violations, the Tripoli government said.

The UN’s Libya envoy, Ghassan Salame, has said a holiday cease-fire should be followed by an international conference to end the war.