Gaza ceasefire must be permanent, UN chief says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called Monday for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

“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,” Guterres said in a statement. He also called for a “political path to lasting peace across the whole region”.

Guterres described the Hamas attack as “abhorrent” and cited the killing of more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and the taking of 251 hostages.

He also said Palestinians in Gaza had faced “massive loss of life, displacement and destruction”, adding: “Their suffering, too, demands an end, now.”

Israel's 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 United Nations.

Guterres said a brief ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025 had brought some relief, but had not delivered security, adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery and peace.

Israel still controls most of Gaza and refuses to withdraw its soldiers until Hamas' disarmament has been verified. Hamas has advocated gradual disarmament rather than immediate and unilateral surrender of its arsenal.