Tokyo: The worsening conflict between Israel and Hamas will take center stage when the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers gather in Japan for two days of talks.
Top diplomats of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US, as well as the EU – which makes up the G7 bloc of democracies, are scheduled to hold talks in Tokyo, as the number of dead in Gaza rises and worries that the war could turn into a regional crisis.
Israel has so far rejected repeated international pleas for a temporary cease-fire, vowing to continue its air, land, and sea offensive until Hamas releases the hostages it holds.
According to Gaza’s officials, over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks, with over 33 percent of the victims being children. The attacks have also caused 1.5 million people to be displaced and decimated much of the territory’s infrastructure.
The war will be a major topic of discussion during the G7 summit, but reaching common ground may be challenging due to the countries’ varying political and economic loyalties, analysts stated.
Mr. Thomas Gomart, Director of the French Institute of International Relations remarked that, “Europeans are divided and this division is also certainly visible within the G7.”
The Ukraine war, relations with China, and deepening ties with Central Asia will also be discussed by the G7 members. Israel has gotten strong support from the US, which offered it a $14.5 billion military aid package during the conflict and voted against a “humanitarian truce” at last month’s UN General Assembly.
US Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken arrived in Tokyo following a tense three days of negotiations with Middle Eastern leaders.
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