The G7 group of economically strong democracies considers it urgently necessary to expand humanitarian aid to the suffering Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip. There was “great agreement” on this in the G7 group of foreign ministers during discussions on the Gaza war the night before in Tokyo, it was said on Wednesday in German delegation circles. Humanitarian ceasefires were also a problem.
Specifically, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and her Japanese colleague Yoko Kamikawa spoke out in favor of guaranteeing the supply of the population in the area isolated by Israel. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Kamikawa stated that “the immediate release of the hostages and the improvement of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip are the top priorities, and we must call on the countries involved to establish humanitarian pauses and guarantee access humanitarian”. Japan is ready to provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza worth around 65 million dollars (61 million euros). The G7 host had already decided on emergency aid worth ten million US dollars.
German delegation circles also said that the G7 also wanted to closely coordinate their efforts to free hostages kidnapped in Gaza by Hamas. All participants emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense under international humanitarian law. There was consensus that a regional conflagration had to be avoided and that considerations for “the day after” had to be coordinated within the G7 round, as well as with Israel and the countries of the region.
There is a common concern about an increase in tensions in the West Bank, also due to increased settler violence, it was said in German delegation circles. In the discussion, there was also clearly visible concern about the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in G7 countries. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefed his colleagues on the results of his recent trip to the Middle East.
Germany and Japan had already highlighted the importance of international cooperation in the G7 format, taking into account the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and the challenges in the Indo-Pacific. “These are not easy times for the G7. But I think it was very useful to be together in such a close format,” Baerbock said on Wednesday, at the start of a bilateral conversation with his Japanese counterpart. In addition to Germany, the G7 also includes France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Great Britain. Baerbock arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday evening (local time) for the two-day G7 meeting. That evening, the group discussed the Gaza war, the humanitarian situation of civilians in the Gaza Strip, the impact on the Middle East region and possible steps towards a two-state political solution after the war.
Another focus of the G7 meeting in Tokyo is the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba participates via videoconference in the working session of G7 ministers, who are discussing greater support for Kiev in the defensive war against Russia. The situation in the Indo-Pacific and dialogue with Central Asian countries are also on the agenda. Japan holds the G7 presidency this year and Italy will take over next year.