Stop terror and violence in Gaza: Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an end to Israeli violence in Gaza and an immediate ceasefire in the wider region.
He warned leaders not to take any action that would cost ordinary people their lives and futures.
On the second anniversary of the attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on October 7, Guterres reiterated his call for the unconditional release of prisoners.
Guterres said of the situation in Gaza, “The suffering of all must end. This is a humanitarian catastrophe beyond imagination.”
More than 1,250 Israelis and foreigners were killed in Hamas attacks two years ago. More than 250 people (including women, children and the elderly) were abducted.
The Israeli army then launched an offensive on Gaza. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the past two years, most of them women and children. Thousands more have been injured.
The UN believes that number may be lower because thousands of bodies may be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
“The horror of that dark day will live forever in our memories,” Guterres said of the October 7 Hamas attack.
“Two years later, the conditions of the detainees are unbearable. I have met with the families of the detainees and met with survivors, who have shared their suffering.”
Guterres called for the unconditional and immediate release of the detainees and for steps to establish a lasting ceasefire and a credible political process to prevent future bloodshed.
Guterres described US President Donald Trump’s recent peace proposal as “an opportunity to seize the opportunity to end this tragic conflict.”
He stressed that “international law must always be respected.”