G7 foreign ministers declared on Wednesday that they supported “humanitarian pauses and corridors” in the Israel-Hamas war but refrained from calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We stress the need for urgent action to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza… we support humanitarian pauses and corridors to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement, and the release of hostages,” the ministers said in a joint statement after talks in Japan.
The statement also mentioned that the ministers “emphasize Israel’s right to defend itself and its people in accordance with international law as it seeks to prevent a recurrence” of the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.
It added, “We call on Iran to refrain from providing support for Hamas and taking further actions that destabilize the Middle East, including support for Lebanese Hezbollah and other non-state actors, and to use its influence with those groups to de-escalate regional tensions.”
Malo Pinatel, with AFP
