A chartered ship carrying nearly 1,000 foreign workers and wounded Libyans from Misrata docked overnight in the relative safety of Benghazi in eastern Libya.

It was the second of several ships being sent in; most of the migrant workers had been living in the open in Misrata’s port hoping for some way out.

The rescue team had wanted to evacuate more from the besieged city but the lull in the firing did not last long.

Among the passengers were some of Misrata’s wounded rebel fighters and children.

A doctor on board the ship said he felt really sad. “This is what happens when you randomly bomb a city with innocent people. It’s not a war, it’s a crime against humanity.”

In some instances rebels have managed to find new weapons and although fighting in Misrata is street-by-street, the rebels claim to have made some progress against pro-Gaddafi forces.

Meanwhile the EU has outlined a plan that could see European ground troops sent to protect aid deliveries if requested by the United Nations.