The leaders of Japan and Italy called Monday for "calming down" the situation in the Gaza Strip, recognizing the critical importance of improving the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.
The appeal was made during a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his visiting Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni in Tokyo, said a statement from Japan's Foreign Ministry.
"On the situation surrounding Israel and Palestine, recognizing the critical importance of improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and reviewing the efforts made by the G-7 last year, the two leaders concurred to intensify efforts at this year's G-7 summit toward the immediate release of the hostages, improving the humanitarian situation and calming down the situation," the statement added.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing at least 27,478 Palestinians and injuring 66,835 others.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, the two leaders agreed to continue to work closely together at this year's G-7 summit meetings under the Italian Presidency.
They also shared "the recognition that the role of the G-7 in leading the international community's response to the conflict is "extremely important."
"The two leaders also exchanged views on the response to North Korea, including the nuclear and missiles issue and the abductions issue, as well as on the situation in East Asia, including China, and concurred to work closely together."
Appreciating the progress in bilateral cooperation, Kishida welcomed cooperation in the field of defense and security such as joint naval exercises and port calls by naval vessels including an aircraft carrier strike group as well as the joint development of next-generation fighter aircraft by Japan, Italy and the UK.
Meloni welcomed the deepening of Japan-Italy relations in various fields and expressed the desire for close communication in various areas including space, science and technology to further strengthen relations, the statement said.
