The foreign ministers of the G7 promised to continue supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, even as they attempted to reach a consensus on the Israel-Hamas conflict on Wednesday.
It was anticipated that the ministers would support “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza in a joint statement that would be released later in Tokyo, but they would not advocate for a ceasefire.
Arriving for the discussions after his most recent hectic trip of the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanded on Tuesday that the G7 address the situation “in one clear voice.”
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamiwaka said late Tuesday that the G7 ministers “need to call on the relevant countries to take humanitarian pauses and ensure humanitarian access, which is a pre-condition for sufficient and continued humanitarian assistance”.
A diplomatic source said after a working dinner the same day focusing on Gaza that there was “great unity that in view of the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, humanitarian care for the Palestinian civilian population needs to be urgently expanded”.
The source added that there were “constructive exchanges” about humanitarian pauses, as well as the need for discussions among the G7 and other countries in the region about the future of Gaza and how to stop the conflict from spreading.
