October 15, 2023

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on October 14 during his street speech given near Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station severely criticized the Israeli forces for threatening a large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip and called for an immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

Shii pointed out, “The Gaza Strip is a tiny, densely-populated Palestinian enclave and is surrounded by walls. A major invasion will inevitably take an enormous human toll.” He demanded that Israel stop its strikes against Gaza without delay.

Shii said, “At the same time, our party strongly condemns Hamas for its indiscriminate attacks which killed and wounded many civilians,” adding that both sides should exercise self-restraint over the vicious cycle of violence and sit down at the negotiating table for an immediate ceasefire. Shii called on the international community to encourage both parties so that they can have a dialogue.

Past related article:
> JCP Chair issues a statement on battle between Hamas and Israel, strongly calling for self-restraint to end vicious cycle of violence [October 11, 2023]