Israel says its soldiers will stay in Gaza until officials verify Hamas has disarmed. On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a permanent ceasefire ahead of the third anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Hamas has advocated gradual disarmament, not an immediate, unilateral surrender of its arsenal, according to the report. The two positions remain central to the ceasefire debate.
The Disarmament Dispute
Guterres urged the parties to make the ceasefire permanent, allow humanitarian assistance at scale and respect international law. He also called for a “political path to lasting peace across the whole region.” His appeal came as Israel continued to control most of Gaza and said it wouldn’t withdraw its soldiers until Hamas’ disarmament had been verified.
A brief ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025 “brought some relief,” Guterres said. But it “has yet to deliver security, adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery and peace,” he added. The report doesn’t describe the ceasefire’s terms or identify specific security incidents during it.
Hamas’ position differs from Israel’s stated condition for withdrawal. The group has advocated gradual disarmament, while Israel requires verification that Hamas has disarmed before its soldiers leave. The report gives no further details about how either side would put its proposed approach into practice.
The Oct. 7 Attack and Its Aftermath
Guterres called the Hamas attack “abhorrent.” More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals died, and Hamas took 251 hostages, he said. The third anniversary falls on Oct. 7, 2026, according to the date stated in the report.
Guterres also said Palestinians in Gaza had suffered a “massive loss of life, displacement and destruction,” but he didn’t give a death toll in his statement. Separately, the report said Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,200 people, citing the Palestinian Health Ministry, which is under Hamas’ authority. The United Nations deems the ministry’s figures reliable, the report said.
The report sets out both the casualties from the Hamas attack and the reported toll from Israel’s military campaign, attributing each figure to its source. It doesn’t provide a breakdown of the Palestinian Health Ministry’s count or details about the circumstances of individual deaths.
Regional Security Fronts
Since the 2023 attacks, Israel has carried out military operations on several fronts, including an invasion of southern Lebanon to confront Hezbollah. The report identifies Hezbollah as an Islamist movement backed by Tehran. It also says Israel launched a war against Iran in late February alongside the United States; the report doesn’t specify a year for that date.
Guterres called for Israelis and Palestinians to live “side by side in peace and security,” with their rights, dignity and aspirations fulfilled. He said the anniversary should mark renewed determination to build a different future. He also called for an end to Palestinian suffering in Gaza. His statement didn’t address Israel’s stated requirement that Hamas disarm before Israeli forces withdraw.