Guterres: The ceasefire in Gaza must become permanent; the region needs peace

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip as the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack approaches.

In a message published ahead of the anniversary, Guterres said that now is the time to turn the ceasefire into a lasting agreement, guarantee humanitarian aid on a large scale and ensure respect for international law.

He also stressed the importance of creating a political process that would lead to long-term peace throughout the region.

“We must build a political path toward lasting peace throughout the region. The United Nations remains unwavering in its commitment to this imperative,” the UN chief said.

Guterres called for the creation of a different future in which Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace and security, while their rights, dignity and aspirations are fully realized.

Speaking about Hamas’s attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, he described it as a “horrific” event.

According to an AFP tally based on official data, 1,221 people were killed on the Israeli side, most of them civilians.

“I mourn those who were killed in the attacks and those who died in captivity. The suffering they endured and the endless grief of their families must never be forgotten,” Guterres said.

Meanwhile, Israel’s large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip has caused at least 74,200 deaths, mostly civilians, according to the Health Ministry of Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. The United Nations considers these figures credible.

The UN chief stressed that Gaza’s civilian population continues to face “intolerable conditions” and that their suffering “must end, now.”

Although US President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire in October 2025, the political future of the Gaza Strip remains unclear.

Israel continues to control most of the territory and refuses to withdraw its troops unless Hamas is disarmed.

Hamas, for its part, claims that disarmament can be carried out gradually and opposes the immediate and unilateral surrender of its arsenal.

Following Hamas’s offensive, Israeli forces have been involved in clashes on several fronts, particularly in Lebanon against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shiite movement, as well as against Iran, in cooperation with the United States.