March 20,2025

Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Shii Kazuo commented on the situation in Palestine’s Gaza Strip at a meeting held in the Diet building on March 19. His comments follow:

On March 18, Israel carried out large-scale attacks on Palestine’s Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of residents, including many children. This is a brutal resumption of the 15-month-long act of genocide that had brought enormous suffering to the people there until the ceasefire commenced in January. The Japanese Communist Party strongly condemns the latest offensive, which is a violation of international law and international humanitarian law as well as a unilateral breach of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The JCP urges Israel to stop the attack on Gaza, end the blockade of humanitarian aid, and return to the ceasefire agreement in order to resume negotiations.

What is extremely concerning is that the U.S. Trump administration knew in advance that Israel was preparing to initiate the large-scale campaign and gave it de facto approval. It must also be pointed out that Israel was effectively encouraged to carry out the illegal strikes by President Trump’s outrageous attempts regarding the need for the forcible expulsion of Gazans and the American takeover of Gaza during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Japanese government’s attitude should be called into question. While saying that Japan supports the two-state solution to the Palestine problem, the Ishiba administration has refrained from criticizing President Trump’s reckless statements about the issue and the huge U.S. military aid provided to Israel. The JCP demands that the Japanese government change its diplomatic stance and say what should be said to Israel and the U.S.