G7 Ministers Unified in Call for Humanitarian Pause in Gaza

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pose for group photo session during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Iikura Guest House Wednesday, Nov. 8, 20
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pose for group photo session during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Iikura Guest House Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERS
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G7 Ministers Unified in Call for Humanitarian Pause in Gaza

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pose for group photo session during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Iikura Guest House Wednesday, Nov. 8, 20
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pose for group photo session during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Iikura Guest House Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERS

G7 foreign ministers on Wednesday issued a "unified message" on the Israel-Hamas war, including a call for a humanitarian pause in the fighting and a "peace process", Japan's top diplomat said.

Winding up a two-day meeting in Tokyo, the Group of Seven wealthy nations said in a joint statement that Israel had the right to defend itself, while underscoring the need to protect civilians and to comply with international humanitarian law.

It was only the second joint statement from the G7 since gunmen from Hamas sparked the conflict with an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking some 240 hostages.

The Israeli bombardment of Gaza has since killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, around 40% of them children, according to counts by health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory.

“All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers,” said the G7 statement on Wednesday.

The ministers noted that the G7 is “working intensively to prevent the conflict from escalating further and spreading more widely,” and also using sanctions and other measures “to deny Hamas the ability to raise and use funds to carry out atrocities.”

They also condemned “the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians,” which they said is “unacceptable, undermines security in the West Bank, and threatens prospects for a lasting peace.”

The G7 comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, with the European Union also taking part in the summit.

At a working dinner on Tuesday, the ministers also discussed what happens after the Gaza conflict recedes and how to revitalize peace efforts in the Middle East, Japan said in a statement.

It gave no details of options being discussed if Hamas is ousted from Gaza.
 



White House Withdraws Nomination for US Hostage Envoy

FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo
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White House Withdraws Nomination for US Hostage Envoy

FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo

The Trump administration has withdrawn the nomination of Adam Boehler to serve as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, the White House said on Saturday.
Boehler, who has been working to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, will continue hostage-related work as a so-called "special government employee," a position that would not need Senate confirmation.
"Adam Boehler will continue to serve President Trump as a special government employee focused on hostage negotiations," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
"Adam played a critical role in negotiating the return of Marc Fogel from Russia. He will continue this important work to bring wrongfully detained individuals around the world home."
A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Boehler withdrew his nomination to avoid divesting from his investment company. The move was unrelated to the controversy sparked by his discussions with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
"He still has the utmost confidence of President Trump," said the official.
"This gives me the best ability to help Americans held abroad as well as work across agencies to achieve President Trump’s objectives," Boehler told Reuters in a brief statement.
Boehler recently held direct meetings with Hamas on the release of hostages in Gaza. The discussions broke with a decades-old policy by Washington against negotiating with groups that the US brands as terrorist organizations.
The talks angered some Senate Republicans and some Israeli leaders. According to Axios, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer expressed his displeasure to Boehler in a tense phone call last week.