Top diplomats from the Group of Seven leading industrial democracies announced a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday after intensive meetings in Toky♈o, condemning Hamas, supporting Israel's right to self-defence and calli♕ng for “humanitarian pauses” to speed aid to desperate Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the na꧒tions sought to balance criticism of Hamas' attacks against Israel and a push for “uꦍrgent action” to help civilians in the besieged Palestinian enclave in need of food, water, medical care and shelter.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign ministers from Britain, Canaဣda, France, Germany, Japan and Italy emphasised that they “support humanitarian pauses to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and release of h🌸ostages.”
There was also condemnation of “the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians,” wh🐷ich the ministers said is “unacceptable, undermines security in the West Bank, and threatens prospects for a lasting peace.”
As the di𓆏plomats met in downtown Tokyo, a UN agency said thousands of Palestinians are fleeing south on foot in Gaza with only what they can carry after running out of food and water in the north. Israel said its troops were battling Hamas militants deep inside Gaza City, which was home to about 650,000 people before the war and where the Israeli military says Hamas has its central command and a vast labyrinth of tunnels.
