United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza before the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel in 2023.
Calling for a “political path to lasting peace across the whole region”, Guterres said in a statement: “It is time for the ceasefire to become permanent. It is time to allow humanitarian assistance at scale. And it is time to respect international law.
“Let this anniversary mark not only another year of mourning, but also a renewed determination to build a different future: one in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security, with their rights, dignity and aspirations fulfilled.”
The UN chief acknowledged Israel’s casualties in the statement, calling the Hamas attack “abhorrent” for “killing more than 1200 Israelis and foreign nationals” and the hostage-taking of another 251 people.
But Guterres said Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had faced a “massive loss of life, displacement and destruction” without specifying the death toll.
He said: “Their suffering, too, demands an end, now”.
Israel’s years-long military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,200 people according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which is under Hamas’ authority and whose figures are deemed reliable by the UN.
Guterres acknowledged that a brief ceasefire, announced by United States President Donald Trump in October 2025, had “brought some relief. But it has yet to deliver security, adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery and peace.”
Israel, which still controls most of Gaza, refuses to withdraw its soldiers until Hamas’ disarmament has been verified.
Hamas, for its part, has advocated for gradual disarmament rather than immediate and unilateral surrender of its arsenal.
Since the 2023 attacks, Israel has waged military attacks on several fronts, notably invading southern Lebanon to confront Hezbollah, the Islamist movement backed by Tehran, and launching war against Iran in late February alongside the US.
- AFP