Guterres urges parties to move to the next phase of the ceasefire under resolution 2803
9 October 2026
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a message marking three years since the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
He said more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed in the attack, and another 251 people were abducted and taken into Gaza as hostages.
He also recalled the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza from the hostilities that followed.
According to UN agencies, Israeli attacks have killed more than 70,000 people, including 20,000 children, and wounded more than 100,000.
Nearly all of Gaza's 2.1 million people have been displaced, and the territory now has the highest proportion of child amputees in the world.
Guterres said the October 2025 ceasefire has brought some relief but not yet security, adequate humanitarian aid or a credible path to recovery and peace.
He urged all parties to implement their commitments in full and move to the next phase of the ceasefire under Security Council resolution 2803.
In plain words
Secretary-General Secretary-General of the United Nations — The chief administrative officer of the UN, appointed by the General Assembly on the Security Council's recommendation.
Ceasefire Ceasefire — An agreed halt to fighting, which may be partial, temporary or permanent.