Guterres calls the Gaza deal the only good news of recent days as military tension in the Persian Gulf enters a sixth month

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said on Friday 31 July 2026 (9 Mordad 1405) that the agreement announced late on Thursday, under which Hamas hands over its weapons and Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, was among the few pieces of good news for West Asia.

He said: "The only good news of recent days is the announcement of an agreement by the US president, under which Hamas gives up its weapons and Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip." Guterres added: "To be clear, fighting on all fronts in the region must stop. We have now entered the sixth month of military tension in the Persian Gulf region. What began as a regional dispute is increasingly becoming a factor pushing the world towards instability."

The remarks, reported by the newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi, came as military tension between Iran and the United States entered a sixth month, with the global energy market and Persian Gulf trade routes both under its influence.