UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks. "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," he said in a message released on Monday. He urged all parties to implement their commitments in full and advance to the next phase of the ceasefire, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Guterres described the Hamas attack as "abhorrent", noting it killed more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals while 251 people were taken hostage. He said the hostilities that followed inflicted "untold suffering" on Palestinians in Gaza, with massive loss of life, displacement and destruction. "Civilians continue to endure intolerable conditions," he said. "Their suffering, too, demands an end, now."

He called for building a political path to lasting peace across the region. Guterres noted the fragile ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025 has yet to deliver security, adequate aid or a credible path to recovery.