United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Hamas attacks on Israel, terming them “acts of terror.” He stressed that these attacks should not lead to the “collective punishment” of Palestinians and called for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Guterres urged Hamas to release hostages and Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza. He expressed concern about the deep Palestinian grievances but maintained that these grievances did not justify the October 7 Hamas attacks. Guterres also decried the hospital blast in Gaza and condemned an attack on a UN school in a refugee camp.