As embattled parties in Tripoli remain entrenched in a military stalemate, both sides remain uncompromising in their resolve and unwilling to settle for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, hospitals are flooded with thousands of the injured, caught in the middle of routine shelling and firefights in the area. “When the question of the ceasefire was put on the table, Haftar’s reaction to this was to ask: ‘negotiate with whom for a ceasefire today’,” a French presidential official said. Meanwhile, Fayez al-Sarraj, the prime minister of the GNA, has also refused to consider a ceasefire until Haftar’s forces have retreated from Tripoli and ended the offensive in northwestern Libya. Al-Sarraj also cast doubt upon the strength and legitimacy of Haftar’s forces, arguing that the GNA were defending against the very militants Haftar claims to be combating.

Source: Libya Today May 23, 2019 18:00 UTC