Guterres in call for Gaza peace ahead of anniversary

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the third anniversary of the 7 October 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," Mr Guterres said in a statement, calling for a "political path to lasting peace across the whole region."

"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," he added.

The UN chief acknowledged Israel's casualties in the statement, calling the Hamas attack "abhorrent" for "killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals" and the hostage-taking of another 251 people.

Mr Guterres also said Palestinians in Gaza have faced a "massive loss of life, displacement and destruction," without specifying their death toll.

"Their suffering, too, demands an end, now," he added.

Israel's military campaign in Gaza since the 2023 Hamas attack 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.

Mr Guterres acknowledged that a brief ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025, "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 Iran, and launching war against Iran in late February alongside the United States.

Israel puts military on alert for Oct 7 anniversary, warns Gazans

Israel's defence minister said he had put the military on high alert before the 7 October anniversary, warning Gazans would pay a "heavy price" if forces were harmed.

The office of Defence Minister Israel Katz said the instruction came "in light of intelligence regarding Hamas's intentions to attempt to carry out attacks and terror operations against our forces in Gaza on that day".

"If, heaven forbid, our forces are harmed, the ones who will pay the heavy price will be Hamas and the population of Gaza - beyond all proportion," the statement added.

Yesterday, during a state ceremony to mark three years since the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be "no Hamas rule in Gaza" and vowed to continue targeting anyone who was involved in the attack or who held hostages.