U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that now is not the time for revenge in response to reports of the death of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.

At U.N. headquarters in New York on Thursday, Ban said all combatants must lay down their arms in peace. He added that “this is the time for healing and rebuilding, for generosity of spirit – not for revenge.”

The U.N. chief said Thursday clearly marks an historic transition for Libya.

Ban also said this event is only the beginning, and “the road ahead for Libya and its people will be difficult and full of challenges.”