This came during his reception of Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Matsumoto Hisashi, in Ramallah. Abbas clarified: “We do not want an armed state, with the necessity of a full Israeli withdrawal from the sector, the start of reconstruction, and holding general elections within one year, achieving comprehensive calm in the West Bank and halting settlement and annexation attempts, stopping settler terrorism, releasing withheld Palestinian funds, and stopping attacks on sacred Islamic and Christian religious sites.” He also emphasized “the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, hastening the entry of humanitarian aid to stop the starvation war, releasing detainees, and the full assumption of civil and security responsibilities by the State of Palestine in the Gaza Strip, with all Palestinian factions handing over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority under the principle of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon,” according to Palestinian news agency “Wafa” reports.
The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, praised the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Japan for the humanitarian assistance provided by Japan to the residents of the Gaza Strip, support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and the support provided for building the institutions of the State of Palestine, the Palestinian economy, and Japan’s support for establishing the Corridor for Peace and Prosperity and the Ciabad Group, which supports building the institutions of the Palestinian state.
He also expressed appreciation for Japan’s stances committed to peace and the two-state solution, stopping the war in Gaza, bringing in humanitarian aid, releasing detainees, rejecting settlement and settler violence, affirming that these positions reflect Japan’s belief in peace.
From October 7, 2023, to the present August 11, the war on Gaza has resulted in the death of more than 61,000 Palestinians in addition to around 154,000 injured, according to Palestinian Ministry of Health data. Despite this, Israel continues its military operations and recently announced approval of a plan to fully occupy the sector. Its officials, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continue to talk about the claims of “Greater Israel,” a term that includes occupying what remains of the Palestinian territories in addition to occupying others.
