NEW YORK: Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday called on Israel to immediately halt its assault on Gaza City, warning that if it continues and further threatens regional stability, Tokyo will consider taking “measures in response.”
Speaking at a press briefing attended by Arab News on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, he said: “Japan strongly urges Israel to stop these operations now.” Continued unilateral military action by Israel, he added, “can never be accepted.”
Ishiba reiterated Japan’s support for a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can “live side by side,” and emphasized that Tokyo’s recognition of Palestine is not a question of “if but when.”
He condemned the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying it “can never be overlooked,” and urged all parties to work toward a peaceful resolution.
Highlighting the Gaza conflict as one of the world’s most urgent global challenges, Ishiba criticized the paralysis of the UN Security Council, the body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
