UN Secretary-General António Guterres has made a passionate appeal for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate release of all hostages. Speaking at a session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Guterres highlighted the devastating human toll of the conflict, stressing the urgent need to end the violence.
His remarks came in response to controversial comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested the U.S. could “take over” Gaza and urged Palestinians to leave. Guterres firmly rejected such rhetoric, stating, “At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to live as human beings in their land simply.”
The UN chief condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks, emphasizing that nothing justifies such violence. However, he also criticized the ongoing destruction in Gaza, where nearly 50,000 people—mainly women and children—have been reportedly killed, and vital civilian infrastructure has been decimated.
Highlighting the humanitarian crisis, Guterres described a generation of children left homeless, traumatized, and out of school for over a year. He praised the recent ceasefire and hostage release deal brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States but stressed that more must be done.
“Now it is time to be crystal clear about objectives going forward,” Guterres said. “We must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay. We cannot go back to more death and destruction.”
His call serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for global cooperation to bring lasting peace to Gaza and uphold the fundamental rights of its people.
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