Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Council of Arab Ambassadors in Japan met on Tuesday with KATSUMATA Takaaki, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs at Japan’s House of Representatives, and members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, to address the ongoing Israel war on Gaza and the violent attacks by Israelis on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The Council expressed deep concern over the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. The conflict, which has been ongoing for 32 days, has resulted in the loss of over 10,000 Palestinian lives, including thousands of children, women, and journalists, as well as more than 120 Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Council emphasized that the brutal killings of innocent Palestinian civilians cannot be justified under any pretext and Israel must be held accountable for its indiscriminate attacks. They further stressed that the lack of accountability has emboldened extremist elements within the Israeli government, leading to inflammatory and racist statements that incite violence and hatred, including the outrageous suggestions made by an Israeli Cabinet Minister that call for nuclear bombing of Gaza.

The Council has called on the international community to force Israel to immediately and fully comply with international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights conventions. They urged Japan, as a prominent member of the international community, to use its leverage to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, and stop the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.

Japan’s commitment to impartial humanitarian efforts and its dedication to upholding universal principles of freedom, respect for human rights and the rules of international law were acknowledged by the Council. They underscored the importance of Japan demonstrating its impartiality in efforts to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians amid the ongoing crisis.

Considering these concerns, the Council made several urgent calls to Japan and the international community, including enabling humanitarian access for essential supplies and services to reach all civilians in need in Gaza, the provision of essential goods and services to civilians, and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.

The Council also called for the rescinding of the order by Israel for the evacuation and relocation of Palestinian civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza. They firmly rejected any attempts at forced population transfer and emphasized the protection of civilian and humanitarian facilities, especially those that serve vulnerable groups.

The Council called on the international community to work towards a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on international law and a two-state solution.