Israel still controls most of Gaza, where its military campaign has killed more than 74,200 people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a permanent ceasefire ahead of the third anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Israeli control and the ceasefire
“It’s time for the ceasefire to become permanent. It’s time to allow humanitarian assistance at scale. And it’s time to respect international law,” Guterres said in a statement. He called for a “political path to lasting peace across the whole region.”
Israel refuses to withdraw its soldiers from Gaza until authorities verify Hamas’ disarmament, the report said. Hamas has advocated gradual disarmament rather than immediate and unilateral surrender of its arsenal. Israel still controls most of the territory.
Guterres said a brief ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025 “brought some relief. But it has yet to deliver security, adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery and peace.” He said the ceasefire hadn’t delivered adequate humanitarian assistance or a credible path to recovery.
Loss of life and displacement
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,200 people, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Hamas has authority over the ministry; the United Nations deems its figures reliable, according to the report.
Guterres said Palestinians in Gaza had suffered a “massive loss of life, displacement and destruction.” He didn’t give a Palestinian death toll in his statement. “Their suffering, too, demands an end, now,” he said.
The UN chief also addressed Hamas’ attack on Israel, calling it “abhorrent.” He said it killed more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and involved the taking of 251 hostages. The anniversary falls on Oct. 7, 2026, the third anniversary of the attack, according to the report.
“Let this anniversary mark not only another year of mourning, but also a renewed determination to build a different future: one in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security, with their rights, dignity, and aspirations fulfilled,” Guterres said.
Regional military operations
Israel has conducted military operations on several fronts since the 2023 attacks, the report said. These included an invasion of southern Lebanon to confront Hezbollah, an Islamist movement backed by Tehran, and a war against Iran launched in late February alongside the United States.
The report appeared in Arab News on Oct. 6, 2026, with AFP attribution. Its accompanying photograph showed a Palestinian man cleaning the roof of a building at Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Oct. 5, 2026.