‘Nothing can justify these atrocities,’ says Guterres three years on from 7 October attacks

In a message released on Monday, Mr. Guterres described an abhorrent, large-scale terror attack in which more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed. 

Civilians were deliberately targeted in their homes, their communities and at a music festival.

Another 251 people, including women, children and older people, were abducted and taken into Gaza as hostages. 

He said they had suffered horrific abuse in captivity, including torture, sexual violence and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Some were killed by their captors or during the hostilities that followed.

“Nothing can justify these atrocities,” he said.

‘Deep physical and emotional scars’

“I have met with Israeli families whose worlds were shattered that day and listened to survivors who continue to carry deep physical and emotional scars,” he said.

He also recalled the “untold suffering” inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza resulting 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 much of the territory is in ruins. It now has the highest proportion of child amputees in the world.

“Civilians continue to endure intolerable conditions,” he said. “Their suffering, too, demands an end – now.”

Time for a permanent ceasefire

The October 2025 ceasefire has brought some relief, he said, but not yet security, adequate humanitarian aid or a credible path to recovery and peace. 

The Secretary-General urged all parties to implement their commitments in full and move to the next phase of the ceasefire under Security Council resolution 2803.

UN agencies report that Israeli aid restrictions continue, as do almost daily deadly attacks. 

The UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said Israeli authorities suspended the entry of cargo into Gaza on Monday and announced another suspension for Wednesday, citing security concerns linked to the anniversary.

Now, he said, it is time for the ceasefire to become permanent and for humanitarian aid to flow at scale.

“Let this anniversary mark not only another year of mourning, but also a renewed determination to build a different future,” he said, where Palestinians and Israelis can live together “with their rights, dignity and aspirations fulfilled.”