RAMALLAH, Friday, November 3, 2023 (WAFA) — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Malki briefed today his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa on the latest developments of the all-out Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
During a meeting in Ramallah, Malki gave the Japanese foreign minister an update about the Israeli massacres committed against the Gaza Strip, which leave thousands of people killed and injured every day, in addition to the destruction of civilians’ homes.
Malki also reviewed the occupation’s bombing of residential neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip, the crisis of hospitals running out of fuel needed to operate and the complete power cutoff, in addition to the drinking water crisis faced by the people of Gaza.
He called for the necessity of intervening to establish a ceasefire, ensure the urgent entry of basic humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as well as safe passage for the exit of emergency medical cases.
The foreign minister stressed that the international community has a moral duty to stop the ongoing genocide committed by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza.
Malki also touched on the crimes committed by the occupation army in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, such as incursions into Palestinian cities, towns, and refugee camps, which resulted in killings, injuries, and arbitrary detention of Palestinians and the destruction of infrastructure.
He further spoke about the escalation of attacks and crimes by armed Israeli colonists, with the support and arming of ministers of the occupation government such as Ben Gvir, as well as their attacks against Palestinian citizens and their land without accountability, especially what olive pickers are exposed to, referring to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s decision to pirate Palestinian funds by deducting part of them under flimsy pretexts.
Malki stressed the importance of Japan’s role in supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause through its non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council and its presidency of the 2913 G7.
He highlighted the importance of Japan’s continued support for Palestine through the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) and its impact on building the institutions of the Palestinian state and developing Palestinian human resources.
Malki called on countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so, noting that this will promote peace in the region and embody the independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
For her part, the Japanese foreign minister expressed deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, the forced displacement of more than one and a half million Palestinians, and the necessity of adhering to and acting on the basis of international law and international humanitarian law.
She referred to Japan's diplomatic efforts to calm the situation, achieve a permanent humanitarian truce, and open a safe humanitarian corridor to bring in aid and ensure the safety of civilians, noting that the situation in Gaza will be reflected in the entire region.
The minister expressed her concern about the escalation of the situation in the West Bank, stressing her country's permanent support for the two-state solution and achieving peace in the region, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the importance of dialogue between the two sides.
Kamikawa said that Japan had provided $10 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, and its intention to announce additional financial support, in addition to providing relief aid to Gaza through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
She stressed that her country will continue to support Palestine through the Peace and Prosperity Initiative and support UNRWA through urgent humanitarian responses.
A.D./T.R.
