Group of Seven foreign ministers welcomed release of some Hamas detainees (Reuters)
The Group of Seven foreign ministers supported the extension of the current truce and a future truce between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip to increase aid and facilitate the release of prisoners from both sides, calling on the Yemeni Houthi group to stop threatening shipping and release the crew of a cargo ship they seized in the Red Sea 10 days ago.
In a joint statement, the ministers called for all possible efforts to ensure that humanitarian support, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies, reaches the Gaza Strip, adding, "We support the extension of this truce and a future truce as needed to allow increased assistance and facilitate the release of civilians."
The Group of Seven statement also welcomed the release of some of Hamas' detainees, stressing the need to "immediately and unconditionally release all hostages."
The Group of Seven foreign ministers said Israel had the right to defend itself, but also stressed the importance of "protecting civilians, complying with international law and its commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the framework of the two-state solution."
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced – on Monday – reaching an agreement between the extension of the humanitarian truce in Gaza, 3 days after the entry into force of the temporary truce for 4 days, under the auspices of Qatari, Egyptian, American.
Release of the ship
On a related note, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries called on the Houthi group in Yemen to "immediately stop" the threat to maritime transport and release the crew of a cargo ship seized in the Red Sea, calling on all parties not to threaten or obstruct the legal exercise of the rights and freedoms of navigation for all ships.
On November 19, military forces affiliated with the Houthi group in Yemen detained a commercial ship owned by an Israeli businessman called "Galaxy Leader", following the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The Galaxy Leader, owned by an Israeli businessman, was bound from Turkey to India when contact was cut off near the Yemeni coast, and the Bahamas-flagged vessel is operated by a Japanese company and owned by a British company owned by Israeli businessman Avraham Rami Ongar.
Source: Agencies