Tokyo: Top diplomats from the Group of Seven (G7) have called for “humanitarian pauses” in the Israel-Hamas war.
Following lengthy talks in Tokyo, the foreign ministers of the major industrial democracies declared that they had agreed upon a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
In a statement they issued, they condemned Hamas, backed Israel’s right to self-defense, and demanded a humanitarian pause in Israel’s shelling of Gaza.
The G7 statement pushed for “urgent action” to aid residents in the besieged Palestinian enclave, who are in desperate need of food, water, medical attention, and shelter in an effort to strike a balance between criticism of Hamas’s attacks and support for Israel.
The foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy, as well as US Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken, emphasized that they “support humanitarian pauses to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement, and release of hostages.”
The ministers also condemned “the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians,” which they said is “unacceptable, undermines security in the West Bank, and threatens prospects for a lasting peace.”
Israel stated that its forces were engaged in combat with Hamas fighters deep within Gaza City, which was home to roughly 650,000 people prior to the conflict where the Israeli military says Hamas has its central command and a vast labyrinth of tunnels.
According to counts by Gaza’s health officials, since October 7, the Israeli bombardment has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, about 40 percent of them children.
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