UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks.In a message issued on October 6, Guterres said the horrors of the attacks must never be repeated and the hostilities in Gaza must end. The Hamas-led attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and 251 were taken hostage, according to IANS.Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, as reported by Xinhua and cited by IANS. Gaza's health authorities put the toll above 74,200."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. He added: "Their suffering, too, demands an end, now."

Guterres noted that the ceasefire reached last year brought some relief but has not delivered security, aid or a path to recovery. He urged all sides to honour their commitments and move to the next phase.He called for a political path to lasting peace where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security.