(VOVworld) – Recent fighting in Libya has killed hundreds of civilians and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, the UN said Tuesday, demanding justice for serious rights violations and possible "war crimes".

Libyan army soldiers stand on a tank as smoke rises from the city's port after a fire broke out at a car tyre disposal plant during clashes with Islamist gunmen in Benghazi on December 23, 2014 (Photo: AFP)

In a joint report, the UN High Commissioner for human rights and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) warned of surging violence across the country since May and widespread human rights violations, including abductions of civilians, torture and executions. Tuesday's report pointed to an escalation in fighting since mid-October in Benghazi, where forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar have been battling Islamist militiamen who have taken control of much of Libya's second largest city. In the capital Tripoli the humanitarian situation had improved since late August, but activists, journalists and public figures continue to be abducted or threatened, the report found. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Support Mission in Libya said those acts seriously violate international laws on human rights and need to be brought to the International Criminal Court. The European Commission said it would give 2 million euros from its emergency fund to support Libyans who have fled their homes because of the fighting.