UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East on October 2, 2024. (Credit: Bryan R. Smith/AFP)
The United Nations Secretary-General called on Saturday for an end to the « shocking violence » and « bloodshed » in Gaza and Lebanon, just two days before the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Monday, October 7, will mark the first anniversary of the unprecedented attack by Hamas, which stunned Israel and triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. This conflict has since spread to neighboring Lebanon, against its ally, Hezbollah.
« This day is an opportunity for the international community to condemn once again in the strongest terms the abominable acts of Hamas, including hostage-taking, » Antonio Guterres stated in a communiqué released on Saturday. In the same statement, Mr. Guterres demanded their « immediate and unconditional release, » while calling on Hamas to « allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit these hostages. » Of the 251 people abducted during the October 7 attack, 97 are still held hostage in Gaza, including 64 presumed alive and 33 dead.
The death toll from the Hamas attack on Israeli soil stands at 1,205, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures, including hostages who died or were killed in captivity in Gaza. In retaliation, Israel launched a military operation that has so far resulted in at least 41,825 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-led Gaza government.
« Since October 7, a wave of shocking violence and bloodshed has swept through, » emphasized Mr. Guterres. « It is time to free the hostages... It is time to silence the guns. It is time to stop the suffering that has overwhelmed the region. »
The Secretary-General also expressed concern over the expansion of the conflict to Lebanon against Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. « The war that followed the horrific attacks a year ago continues to destroy lives and inflict deep human suffering on the Palestinians in Gaza, and today, on the Lebanese people, » he continued.
Since October 2023, over 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon, including more than a thousand since the intensification of Israeli strikes on September 23, according to authorities. Approximately 1.2 million people have been displaced.
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