Group of Seven Nations Call for Calm as Middle East Tensions Soar
The Group of Seven (G7) countries issued a joint statement on Monday calling for the de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East following the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
“We urge all involved parties once again to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions, and to engage constructively toward de-escalation,” the statement said.
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union comprise the G7. The foreign minister of each country reportedly shared a 45-minute phone call Sunday morning to discuss the situation.
According to a US State Department press release, Secretary Blinken and the rest of the group “discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire that secures the release of hostages and allows a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza… [and] how a ceasefire in Gaza would unlock the possibility of greater peace and stability in the region, including across the Blue Line.”
Haniyeh, who has headed the Palestinian group’s political arm from exile in Qatar since 2017, traveled to Iran last week to attend the inauguration of Iran’s newly elected president, Mahmoud Pezeshkian.
The former Hamas leader was reportedly killed by an explosive planted in the guesthouse he was staying in months prior, according to a recently published New York Times report that cites seven Middle Eastern sources, including two Iranian officials as well as an American.
Both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of being behind the attack, while Israel has neither confirmed nor denied any involvement.
