Japanese Govt Boosts Diplomatic Efforts to Ease Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:16 JST, October 18, 2023

The government is increasingly concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and is phoning up relevant countries. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa have talked on the phone with their counterparts of Middle Eastern countries and the European Union, and confirmed cooperation for de-escalation and humanitarian aid.

During the Liberal Democratic Party’s executive board meeting on Tuesday, Kishida said, “We are working to collaborate with the international community for the early de-escalation of the situation and to secure humanitarian access.”

That night, Kishida spoke by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, requesting cooperation in evacuating Japanese citizens who wish to leave Gaza for Egypt. He also spoke with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and stressed the importance of humanitarian aid.

Also on the day, Kamikawa spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who supports the Islamist organization Hamas, and urged Iran to help de-escalate the situation through its ties to Hamas. Both foreign ministers reaffirmed the importance of the international community working together to provide humanitarian aid. Kamikawa also talked with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna over the phone.

Since Oct. 9, Kamikawa has spoken by phone on multiple occasions with the counterparts of both Israel and Palestine, as well as neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia.

G7 ministers condemn ‘terror’

On Tuesday night, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized nations held a phone conference and condemned Hamas’ attacks on Israel as terrorism. They also agreed to collaborate to improve the humanitarian situation on the Gaza Strip.