Blinken in Japan for Gaza-dominated G7 meetings

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Japan on Tuesday to participate in meetings of the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries, which are expected to seek a common stance on Gaza as calls for a ceasefire escalate in the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.

Blinken will take part in the two-day talks in Tokyo following his recent quick tour of the Middle East. It is expected to inform his counterparts about the results of his tour and the progress made in delivering humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and efforts to contain the war, according to a senior official in the Foreign Ministry.

The Israeli military has been intensively shelling the Gaza Strip since October 7, following an unprecedented attack by Hamas inside Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people in Israel, the majority of whom were civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

According to a new tally from the health ministry associated with Hamas, the death toll in the Strip has exceeded 10,000 people, including more than 4,000 children.

The United States, an ally of Israel, has rejected calls for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself, noting that Washington called for a temporary halt to the fighting.

On Monday, Blinken stated in Turkey that the United States is working "very actively" to deliver more aid to civilians stranded in the Gaza Strip. 

He stressed to the journalists, "We have made significant progress in recent days in increasing" aid reaching the people of Gaza, and he noted that "a cessation (of the fighting) may also contribute to that."

In addition, President Joe Biden discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday the possibility of implementing "tactical truces," according to the White House. However, no agreements were announced, and the leaders did not discuss the possibility of a ceasefire.

Netanyahu said on Monday that the war will continue until Israel assumes "full security responsibility" in Gaza.

France is the only G7 member that supported a resolution issued by the United Nations General Assembly last month, calling for an immediate "humanitarian truce."

The United States voted against the resolution, while Japan, Britain, Germany, and Canada abstained from voting.

France stated in a statement announcing Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna's participation in the Tokyo meetings that the discussions would address the "need to respond to the civilians’ needs in Gaza and respect international humanitarian law."

Her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, said that the G7 would discuss "how we can come together for humanitarian truces to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza."

She added, "It is clear to me that Hamas terrorists have brought endless suffering to Israel and Palestinian civilians in Gaza through the horrific attacks that occurred on October 7. Hamas should not be allowed to determine the fate of the people in the Gaza Strip."

Valérie Niquet from the "Strategic Research Institute" told Agence France-Presse that any joint call by the G7 for a humanitarian truce would be "non-binding and in general terms."

Ukraine Conflict 

The war in Ukraine will be another major topic on the agenda, and it is expected that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will participate in a video call.

With indications of waning support for the Ukrainian effort in the war against Russia, which was a member of the G8 before its suspension, the G7 is expected to adopt a strong tone condemning Moscow, according to experts.

Robert Ward of the International Institute for Strategic Studies told AFP, "The G7... has been at the forefront of Western economic policies on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. I expect the ministerial meeting to express support for this issue."

However, analysts say that the G7 may soften its stance on China amid early signs of reduced tensions between Beijing and the West.

Among these indicators are forthcoming talks between the United States and China ahead of the COP28 climate conference and a planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart in San Francisco.

Among other topics on the G7's agenda are strengthening relations with strategically and resource-rich countries in Central Asia, with foreign ministers from the region expected to participate in the talks via video conferencing.

AFP