Press Conferences

Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I just arrived in Jordan via the Allenby Bridge. I have two announcements.

First, I visited Israel this morning, held a meeting with Foreign Minister Cohen, and paid a courtesy call on President Herzog. I directly expressed Japan’s solidarity with the people of Israel. I also stated that Japan has unequivocally condemned the recent terror attacks by Hamas and others, and reaffirmed that Israel has its right to defend itself and its people in accordance with international law. At the same time, I raised that Japan is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and reiterated the need for humanitarian pauses and to act in accordance with international law including international humanitarian law. Furthermore, I met with the families of those killed or kidnapped by Hamas and others. I was heartbroken to hear the sentiments of those who suddenly had their beloved family members taken away. Such heinous acts are absolutely unforgivable for any reason.

Second, I visited Ramallah in the afternoon, and held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Palestine Malki. I conveyed that given the very serious humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Japan is prepared to provide humanitarian aid amounting to around USD 65 million and relief supplies through JICA for Palestine for the time being, in addition to the already-decided Emergency Grant Aid worth USD 10 million. Minister Malki expressed his deep appreciation for Japan’s assistance, then explained details of the extremely serious humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip including fuel, water, food, and medical care conditions. This explanation reaffirmed the severe humanitarian situation. At the same time, I stated the need for Israel and Palestine to co-exist peacefully so as to not to repeat the tragedy of terrorism, and I conveyed Japan’s support for a two-state solution for both Israel and Palestine. Japan will continue to promote the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” initiative towards achieving economic self-reliance for Palestine.

Tomorrow, I will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Safadi here in Amman. With Jordan, which plays an important role as a key player on the Peace in the Middle East, I will engage in thorough discussions on matters, including mid- to long-term outlooks. Based on the constantly changing situation on the ground, we will continue our diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation, realize humanitarian pauses, and calm down the situation as soon as possible, while taking all possible measures to ensure the safety of Japanese people in Israel and the Gaza Strip. That is all from me.

Reporter: You visited both Israel and Palestine as the first Japanese cabinet member since the armed confrontation occurred. What do you think was the significance of this visit? In addition, the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be held in Tokyo next week. Please tell us how Japan as the Presidency intends to leverage the outcomes of this visit?

Minister Kamikawa: During this visit, I held meetings with the dignitaries of Israel and Palestine respectively. I reached out to them on improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which is becoming increasingly severe, and calming down the situation as soon as possible. At each meeting, my counterparts made statements based on their respective positions, while I confirmed the need to improve the humanitarian situation and that we will work together to calm down the situation as soon as possible. Building on the outcomes of these meetings, we intend to persistently continue diplomatic efforts.

At the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo next week, based on the outcomes of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Talk last month and my visit to the Middle East, I intend to once again conduct in-depth discussions with the ministers on the situation surrounding Israel and Palestine.

Reporter: Japan has repeatedly urged Israel to exercise its right to defend itself in accordance with international law. As Israel’s ground operation expands and the number of victims continues to increase, do you believe that international law is currently being observed? In addition, some have pointed out that there are limits to what Japan can do, but Japan has conducted diplomacy in the Middle East region that strikes a balance between Israel and Palestine. As a country in such a position, please tell us what role Japan specifically could play in calming down the situation as soon as possible and improving the humanitarian situation?

Minister Kamikawa: Firstly, Japan refrains from making any definitive legal assessment on the recent incident. Generally speaking, the fundamental norms of international humanitarian law must be upheld in any situation. For example, attacks that needlessly involve innocent civilians are a violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and cannot be justified.

From this perspective, Japan has been consistently calling on all parties to act in accordance with international law. We have been urging Israel to act in accordance with international law in view of the importance of protecting civilians, while stating that Japan unequivocally condemns the terror attacks by Hamas and others. I directly conveyed to Foreign Minister Cohen such Japan’s message this time.

The top priority right now is improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly severe, and I am deeply saddened that civilians, especially children with bright futures, women, and the elderly, are suffering. We are making various diplomatic efforts including calling on Israel to allow humanitarian pauses and ensure humanitarian access so that necessary assistance will be delivered to the people in the Gaza Strip. I directly talked to Foreign Minister Cohen on this issue.

Japan has built favorable relationships with Middle Eastern countries, and we will make use of these relationships. Based on the constantly changing situation on the ground, we intend to actively and persistently continue our diplomatic efforts to calm down the situation as soon as possible, improve the humanitarian situation, and the like, while communicating with relevant countries and international organizations. In addition, given the extremely serious humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, we are currently making efforts to provide additional humanitarian aid amounting to around USD 65 million to Palestine, in addition to the already-decided Emergency Grant Aid worth USD 10 million. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation including through such assistance.

Reporter: I would like to ask about the two-state solution you mentioned at the outset. It seems that the current situation has tilted Israeli society further to the right and made it difficult for Arab countries and Palestine to have a calm discussion with Israel. I understand that you are scheduled to meet with families of hostages today and with Palestine refugees tomorrow. I assume you have felt that dialogue between both sides has become even more difficult in these circumstances. I believe that Japan’s position on supporting a two-state solution remains unchanged, but please could you tell us your thoughts on what impact the recent incident will have on the realization of a two-state solution and on the co-existence of two states? In addition, it seems that the international community is divided between countries that express solidarity with Israel following the terror attacks it suffered and those that express concern about Israel’s counterattack. As Japan has traditionally built good relations with both Israel and the Arab world, could you tell us where Japan will stand in the future?

Minister Kamikawa: Today, I myself, met with families of those killed or kidnapped by Hamas and others, I witnessed firsthand the tragedy of the terror attacks and I was reminded of the situation’s severity. The issues surrounding the Middle East are nothing new. They are complexly entwined with religion, ethnicity, and history and are not easy to resolve. Furthermore, it is undeniable that recent incidents have had an impact on peace and stability in the Middle East.

For the sake of peace and stability in the region, there is no solution other than peaceful co-existence between Israel and Palestine. In that sense, the window of opportunity for peace in the Middle East should not be shut due to the current situation, and Japan’s position to support the “two-state solution” is unwavering.

We believe that it is important to actively and persistently continue our diplomatic efforts to calm down the situation as soon as possible and improve the humanitarian situation, for example, through direct outreach to both Israel and Palestine, such as my recent meetings. Japan has been making unique efforts including the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” initiative. I feel that it is also extremely important to continue such efforts to promote confidence-building among the parties involved.

Reporter: Until now, you have refrained from a legal assessment of Israel’s military actions as to whether they are in accordance with international law. The reason you have given is that “Japan is not a direct party and does not have sufficient awareness of the detailed situation.” However, I think that you visited and saw the situation on the ground and have gained a sufficient understanding of the exact situation. Please tell us what you have understood from this visit specifically. In addition, could you share with us your thoughts on Israel’s military actions? Please also tell us if you delivered any messages on this subject to Foreign Minister Cohen and the Palestinian Foreign Minister.

Additionally, I understand that you have conveyed to Foreign Minister Cohen the need for humanitarian pauses. After viewing the situation on the ground, what duration and scope do you think temporary pauses would require?

Minister Kamikawa: Japan refrains from making any definitive legal assessment on the recent incident. The fundamental norms of international humanitarian law must be upheld in any situation. For example, attacks that needlessly involve innocent civilians are a violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and cannot be justified. From this perspective, Japan has been consistently calling on all parties to act in accordance with international law. We have been urging Israel to act in accordance with international law in view of the importance of protecting civilians, while stating that Japan unequivocally condemns the terror attacks by Hamas and others. . I directly conveyed to Foreign Minister Cohen such Japan’s message this time.

The top priority right now is improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly severe, and I am deeply saddened that civilians, especially children with bright futures, women, and the elderly, are suffering. First, we are making various diplomatic efforts including calling on Israel to allow a humanitarian pause and ensure humanitarian access so that necessary assistance will be delivered to the people in the Gaza Strip. I directly talked to Foreign Minister Cohen on this issue.
Based on the constantly changing situation on the ground, we intend to actively and persistently continue our diplomatic efforts to calm down the situation as soon as possible, improve the humanitarian situation, and the like, while communicating with relevant countries and international organizations.

As to your second question, I will refrain from speculating about the duration and scope of any pause in the conflict envisioned in humanitarian pauses. I am aware that there are vigorous communications taking place among the countries concerned, the United Nations, and others to ensure humanitarian access. Japan is also working with various members of the international community to reach out to the parties concerned on this issue.