G7 ministers unified in calling for a humanitarian pause on the Gaza conflict, Japan says. Japan’s top diplomat stated that despite Israeli troops continuing to bomb the Gaza Strip, G7 foreign ministers delivered a “unified message” on the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday, including a plea for a humanitarian stop in the combat and a “peace process.”

The affluent Group of Seven concluded a two-day conference in Tokyo with a united statement recognizing Israel’s right to self-defense but emphasizing the need to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilians.

It was just the G7’s second unified statement since the battle began on October 7, when gunmen from the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,400 people and kidnapping another 240 others.

Health officials in the Hamas-ruled region have said that since then, over 10,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli shelling of Gaza, with over 40% of those dead being minors.

“I believe it’s important that the G7 was able to put out its first unified message as a statement… regarding a humanitarian pause and a future peace process, both in terms of the responsibility the G7 has towards the international community and for Japan as this year’s chair of the G7,” Yoko Kamikawa, the Japanese Foreign Minister, told reporters.

Beyond emphasizing that a two-state solution “remains the only path to a just, lasting, and secure peace,” the statement did not elaborate on the nature of that peace process. The communiqué also denounced North Korea’s missile launches and arms sales to Russia, emphasized the need for dialogue with China over common issues, and restated the G7’s support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

The G7 comprises the United States, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The European Union is also attending the meeting. Along with its close friend, the United States, and other Western nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel would entertain “tactical little pauses” but has rejected proposals for a truce that it claims would allow Hamas to reorganize.

There had been doubts about the G7’s ability to effectively address significant crises, as they didn’t seem to come to a consensus on a solid, unified strategy for the conflict.

The other statement from the G7 consisted of a few brief phrases and was released following a meeting of its finance ministers on October 12. Other group members have released joint statements.

The G7’s differences have also been visible at the U.N., where on October 26, France voted in favor of a resolution asking for a humanitarian truce in the fighting, the United States opposed it, and the other group members abstained.

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According to a statement from Japan, the ministers also talked about reviving peace efforts in the Middle East and what would happen after the Gaza conflict ends at a working dinner on Tuesday.

The possibilities under discussion if the terrorist Hamas organization is driven out of Gaza were not made clear.

Israel’s long-term intentions for Gaza have remained ambiguous. This week, Netanyahu made some of the first candid remarks on the matter when he declared that Israel will aim to secure security for Gaza “for an indefinite period of time.”

However, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the Wall Street Journal that Israel preferred for the region to be under the administration of Gaza’s political elites or a global alliance that included the United States, the European Union, and countries with a majority of Muslims. Diplomats in the Middle East, Washington, the U.N., and other places have also begun considering alternatives.

According to Reuters, this month, talks include the sending of a multinational force to stabilize Gaza after the conflict, the establishment of a temporary Palestinian-led government free of Hamas officials, temporary U.N. supervision of the region, and temporary security and governance roles for neighboring Arab states.

Following his visit to Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make his first trip to South Korea in almost two years. As worries about North Korea’s military connections with Russia deepen, the main topic of discussion during his discussions will be bolstering the Washington-Seoul relationship.