The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that hope should not be lost when it comes to ending suffering in the Middle East during an address coinciding with the anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. It is time for the release of the hostages. Time to silence the guns. Time to stop the suffering that has engulfed the region. Time for peace, international law and justice,” he said, calling upon the United Nations to work towards these goals. Guterres urged Hamas to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross access to those held hostage.
Tensions resurfaced in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israeli territory, causing casualties among residents of border settlements and capturing over 250 hostages, including women, children, and elderly individuals. As a response, Israel declared a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, which housed approximately 2.3 million Palestinians prior to the crisis. The Israeli government proceeded with air strikes in both Gaza and some areas of Lebanon and Syria, before launching ground operations aimed at dismantling Hamas’ military and political structures and liberating those who had been abducted.
In late November 2023, a humanitarian truce lasting one week was established under the mediation of Egypt and Qatar. During this period, Israel reported that 110 hostages were released. However, on December 1, 2023, the ceasefire was violated by radicals, triggering the resumption of hostilities that persist to this day. According to current Israeli data, approximately 101 individuals remain in captivity in Gaza.