United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held in Gaza and called for an end to hostilities across the war-torn Palestinian territory, Israel, and the wider region.
Speaking on the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel—which ignited the ongoing Gaza war—Guterres described the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defies comprehension.”
“I have said it time and again, and I am repeating it today with even greater urgency: Release the hostages, unconditionally and immediately,” Guterres urged in a statement.
“End the suffering for all… Stop making civilians pay with their lives and their futures. After two years of trauma, we must choose hope—now.”
The October 7 Hamas assault saw Palestinian fighters breach the Gaza-Israel border, attacking southern Israeli communities and a music festival with gunfire, rockets, and grenades. According to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, 1,219 Israelis were killed, and 251 hostages were taken into Gaza. Of those, 47 remain captive, including 25 believed to be dead, according to the Israeli military.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign by air, land, and sea has since killed at least 67,160 people in Gaza, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, which the United Nations deems credible.
As global pressure intensifies to end the conflict, US President Donald Trump has announced a 20-point peace plan, which includes a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, Hamas’s disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Guterres welcomed the initiative, calling it “an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end.”
“A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace,” he said.
“International law must be respected.”
