Guterres says "the time has come for the ceasefire to become permanent" in Gaza

In his statement, Guterres called for "building a different future: a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security, with their rights fulfilled, their dignity preserved, and their aspirations achieved."

The attack launched by the Hamas movement on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, which the UN Secretary-General described as "horrific," resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people on the Israeli side, the majority of them civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official data.

Guterres said, "Three years later, the pain of October 7 still lingers for families who lost loved ones, for survivors, and for everyone whose lives were changed forever."

He continued, "I mourn those who were killed in the attacks, and those who died in captivity. Their suffering must not be forgotten, nor must the ongoing grief lived by their families."

In contrast, the war waged by Israel on Gaza in response to the Hamas attack has resulted in the deaths of more than 74,200 people, according to the Ministry of Health in the strip run by Hamas—figures considered reliable by the United Nations.

Guterres added that in the Palestinian territory, "the devastating hostilities that followed have inflicted unspeakable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza, including heavy loss of life, displacement, and widespread destruction. Civilians continue to bear unbearable conditions. Their suffering, too, demands an end, now."

Since US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in October 2025, the political future of the region remains unknown.

Israel, which still controls the majority of the Gaza Strip, refuses to withdraw its forces from it unless the disarmament of Hamas is verified. In return, the movement calls for a gradual disarmament rather than the immediate and unilateral surrender of its arsenal.