Japanese Foreign Minister: "G7 Supports Ceasefire for Gaza Strip Aid... Demands Hostage Release"

Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko stated on the 8th that the Group of Seven (G7) has reached a consensus to support a "humanitarian ceasefire" to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Gaza Strip amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas.

Yoko Kamikawa, Japanese Foreign Minister / Photo by Yonhap News

According to Kyodo News, Foreign Minister Kamikawa made these remarks at a press conference following the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Tokyo that day, adding, "The G7 firmly condemned Hamas's terrorist attacks and demanded the immediate release of hostages."

He continued, "The G7 shared the position that the so-called 'two-state solution,' where Israel and Palestine coexist as independent states, is the only path to lasting peace in the Middle East."

Foreign Minister Kamikawa explained that the G7 recognized the need to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from spreading to other regions and agreed on the importance of adhering to international law.

This was the first in-person meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in a month since Hamas attacked Israel on the 7th of last month, triggering armed conflict. Earlier, on the 17th of last month, the G7 foreign ministers held a telephone conference where they condemned Hamas's surprise attack and agreed on the necessity to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.