UN officials remember October 7 attacks, urge peace

Senior officials from across the UN system, on Monday, underscored the need for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and across the wider region.

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, who is based in Jerusalem, in a statement, said that day left deep scars on individuals.

He said it also left scars on families and the collective memory of the State of Israel and the world.

No fewer than 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel, and around 250 were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip on Oct 7 when Hamas attacked the people.

“Today, we mourn for the over 1,200 people, including many women and children, who were murdered in cold blood. Even a year later, the brutality is impossible to comprehend.”

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Wennesland added that more than 250 people were also abducted from Israel and taken into Gaza, and hostages continue to be held in abhorrent and unimaginable conditions.

“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who were kidnapped. I carry their anguish with me every day,” he said.

The envoy reiterated his appeal for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other militant groups.

In the interim, they must be treated humanely and allowed visits from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Adding that the war “continues to shatter lives and inflict profound human suffering for Israelis, Palestinians, and now the people of Lebanon”, he called for an immediate ceasefire to ensure the safety and security of all civilians.

“Violence begets violence, and in these moments of grief, we must reaffirm our commitment to peace,” he said.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the Middle East is “sinking deeper into conflict, killing and sheer horrors” a year on from the “horrendous massacre”.

This has been 12 months of unspeakable suffering for the hostages, while the brutal war in Gaza has transformed the enclave into “an unrecognizable sea of rubble, and a graveyard for tens of thousands of people, among them far too many children.”

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Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war in which more than 220 UNRWA team members have been killed, the highest death toll in UN history.

“It is time for courage: a deal that would finally bring a ceasefire and respite to people in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel and the wider region,” he wrote in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Continuing, he said it is time to both put the guns down after decades of killing and immense pain, and to release all hostages safely to their families.

“It is time to bring a standard flow of basic humanitarian supplies including to the hungry and sick in Gaza.”

There are no winners in wars. The only way out is through a diplomatic and peaceful solution. It’s time to heal the wounds. It’s time to choose peace!”

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the use of lethal force by Israeli forces, along with rampant settler violence and home demolitions, have led to a sharp increase in fatalities, widespread destruction and forced displacement.

Over the past year, Israel has blocked humanitarian access both into and within Gaza, crippling aid operations. More than 300 aid workers have also been killed, the vast majority from the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA.

This is more than in any other single crisis, OCHA said, making Gaza the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers.

Yet in spite of the immense risks, humanitarians continue to deliver aid when and where they can.

They have also vaccinated more than 560,000 young children against polio during the first phase of an emergency vaccination campaign.

OCHA said that although this represents an example of what can be achieved when aid workers can reach people in need, such examples are few.

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“It has been 12 months of unrelenting tragedy – this must end,” Joyce Msuya, UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said.

“Member States must wield their influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and human rights and compliance with the rulings of the International Court of Justice.

“They must also work to end impunity. An immediate ceasefire and durable peace are long overdue.”