It is known in the Middle East that Japan has been striving to promote peace and development in the region under its humanitarian diplomacy.

It is precisely for this reason that the time has come for Japan to step up and lead the charge in halting the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has been claiming the lives of innocent civilians on a daily basis, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

This week, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is scheduled to travel to the region and hold talks with her counterparts and officials in Israel, Jordan and other countries.

As the country holding the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven this year, Japan bears the responsibility of taking the initiative to create a supportive diplomatic environment for the G-7’s concerted and well-coordinated responses to avert this crisis.

To ensure that Japan can fulfill this duty, it is imperative for Kamikawa to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation concerning the conflict in the narrow piece of land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea governed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Japan enjoys a friendly relationship with Israel, a fellow ally of the United States, while also maintaining good relations with Arab nations.

Unlike major European powers, Japan has never colonized the Middle East and has developed strong economic ties with the region, which provides most of the oil that Japan consumes.

Japan supports the so-called “two-state solution," a proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing two states for two peoples--Israel for the Jewish people and Palestine for the Palestinian people.

Tokyo has also been actively promoting the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity" initiative to support Palestine’s economic independence.

However, it is difficult to claim that Japan has sufficiently leveraged its unique position concerning the Israel-Palestinian conflict, which is clearly, if not radically, different from those of the United States and Europe, in its diplomatic efforts to help resolve the current crisis.

In response to the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, the leaders of six of the G-7 nations, excluding Japan, issued a joint statement supporting Israel's right to self-defense while urging compliance with international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.

Japan did not participate in the discussions for the document.

Last week, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza with the support of 121 countries.

The United States voted against the resolution while France supported it, with other G-7 countries, including Japan, Britain and Germany, abstaining. The vote highlighted divided positions over the matter among the G-7 members.

As it has struggled to pull off a diplomatic balancing act between the United States, which condemns the “terrorist” acts of Hamas, and Arab countries supporting Palestine, Tokyo seems to have been hard-pressed to make its presence felt.

Of course, the brutal actions of Hamas, including the killing of civilians and taking hostages, violate international law and should be condemned.

On the other hand, Israeli attacks causing massive casualties among civilians, involving airstrikes on refugee camps, also constitute violations of international humanitarian law and are unacceptable.

Above all, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a critical point, leaving no room for delay. There should be no disagreement within the G-7 leading democracies regarding the necessity to temporarily halt the fighting in Gaza, deliver humanitarian aid to victims and evacuate the wounded to safety.

Next week, a G-7 foreign ministers' meeting is scheduled to be held in Tokyo. Japan will be required to show much diplomatic finesse to bridge the gap between the nations and deliver a united message from the G-7 to the world.

This is also a test of Japan's diplomatic commitment to "human security," a people-centric approach aimed at protecting individuals from threats to their survival.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 2