A Libyan peace deal brokered by the African Union has been rejected by rebel leaders in Benghazi.
The rebels said they rejected the deal because it does not address their main demand that Muammar Gaddafi quit and because it proposed reforming a ruling system they want removed.
Rebel leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil said they had long demanded Gaddafi's removal from power.
He said: 'The African Union initiative does not include the departure of Gaddafi and his sons from the Libyan political scene, therefore it is outdated.'
Rebel council spokesman Hafiz Ghoga also told the news conference: 'The initiative speaks of reforms from within the Libyan system and that is rejected.'
The agreement had been reached following a meeting with Gaddafi in Tripoli yesterday.
It called for an immediate ceasefire, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and the holding of talks between the rebels and the government.
South African President Jacob Zuma, who met Gaddafi at the head of a delegation of African leaders, urged NATO to stop air strikes on government targets to 'give ceasefire a chance'.
The AU delegation that went to Benghazi to meet rebel leaders was met by more than 2,000 demonstrators holding banners reading: 'African Union take Gaddafi with you' and 'Gaddafi has committed genocide'.
Mr Zuma did not travel to Benghazi with the rest of the delegation.
Meanwhile, forces loyal to Gaddafi have again shelled the besieged town of Misrata.
Al Jazeera television quoted a rebel spokesman as saying five people died and 20 were wounded in Misrata, which has been under siege for more than six weeks.
The Libyan foreign ministry has warned that any foreign intervention under the pretext of bringing aid to Misrata would be met by armed resistance.
'Any attempt to approach Libyan territory under the cover of a humanitarian mission will be met with staunch armed resistance,' the ministry said in a statement.
'The million Libyans who have been armed since the beginning of the crusader, colonialist aggression are ready to defend Libya and to defend Misrata.
'Libya will only accept humanitarian aid from the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.'
NATO seeks credible ceasefire
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he had 'taken note' of the African Union ceasefire proposal.
However, Mr Rasmussen said it had yet to receive a formal request to end the airstrikes.
He said: 'We have not received any formal request as regards the implementation of any ceasefire.
'Any ceasefire must be credible and verifiable. There must be a complete end to violence and a complete end to all attacks and abuses of civilians.'
Mr Rasmussen also said any solution would have to answer the demands of the Libyan people for political reforms.
Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said any proposed ceasefire in Libya must meet the conditions set out by the UN.
Mr Hague said: 'There should be no ceasefire that does not meet the conditions of UN Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 in full, and it is not acceptable for those representing the opposition in Libya, including the Interim National Council.
'Anything short of this would be a betrayal of the people of Libya and would play into the hands of the regime which has announced two meaningless ceasefires since the fighting began without its vicious military campaign missing a single beat.'
Libyan officials have repeatedly said that Gaddafi, who holds no official state position, will not quit.
