By Haris Ahmed
UNITED NATIONS, United States: United Nations Head Antonio Guterres on Monday called for a lasting pause in fighting in Gaza before the third yearly mark of the October 7, 2023 Hamas strike on Israel.
“It is time for the pause in fighting to turn permanent. It is time to permit relief help in massive amounts. And it is time to honor world law,” Guterres expressed in a report, calling for a “political path to lasting peace across the entire area.”
“Let this yearly mark show not only another year of sadness, but likewise a fresh resolve to build a diverse tomorrow: single in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and safety, with their rights, honor, and hopes fulfilled,” Guterres expressed.
The UN chief recognized Israel’s dead in the report, calling the Hamas strike “terrible” for “killing more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign citizens” and the prisoner-taking of another 251 populations.
Guterres likewise expressed Palestinians in Gaza have faced a “massive loss of life, shifting from homes and ruin,” without naming their death count.
“Their pain, too, demands a close, now,” Guterres expressed.
Israel’s years-long army campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,200 populations according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which runs under Hamas’ power and whose numbers remain viewed as trusted by the UN.
Guterres recognized that a short pause in fighting, declared by US Leader Donald Trump in October 2025, “brought some help. But it has yet to give safety, correct relief help or a trusted path to recovery and peace.”
Israel, which still manages most of Gaza, refuses to pull back its soldiers until Hamas’ giving up of weapons has been checked.
Hamas, for its side, has pressed for slow giving up of weapons rather than instant and one-sided giving up of its tools.
Since the 2023 strikes, Israel has carried out army attacks on multiple fronts, notably invading southern Lebanon to face Hezbollah, the Islamist group backed by Tehran, and launching war against Iran in late February alongside the United States.
