Top diplomats from Group of 7 nations adopted a united stand Wednesday on the Israel-Hamas war. Photo: Toshifumi Kitamura/Associated Press

In a statement following two days of intensive talks in Tokyo, the nations sought to balance unequivocal criticism of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel with “the need for urgent action” to help civilians in Gaza, the coastal Palestinian enclave under Israeli siege.

“All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers,” said the statement, hammered out by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy. “We support humanitarian pauses and corridors to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and the release of hostages.”

The G-7 meeting represented, in part, an attempt to contain the worsening humanitarian crisis while also keeping broader differences on Gaza from deepening. It came "at a very intense time for our countries and for the world,” Blinken said in remarks to reporters, adding that “G-7 unity is stronger and more important than ever.”

The ministers noted that the G-7 is “working intensively to prevent the conflict from escalating further and spreading more widely” and is also using sanctions and other measures “to deny Hamas the ability to raise and use funds to carry out atrocities.” They also condemned “the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians,” which they said is “unacceptable, undermines security in the West Bank, and threatens prospects for a lasting peace.”

As the diplomats met in downtown Tokyo, a United Nations agency said that thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are fleeing south on foot with only what they can carry after running out of food and water in the north. Israel said its troops were battling Hamas militants deep inside Gaza City, which was home to some 650,000 people before the war and where the Israel military says Hamas has its central command and a vast labyrinth of tunnels.

The growing numbers making their way south point to an increasingly desperate situation in and around Gaza’s largest city, which has come under heavy Israeli bombardment.

“All of us want to end this conflict as soon as possible and meanwhile to minimize civilian suffering," Blinken said. "But, as I discussed with my G-7 colleagues, those calling for an immediate cease-fire have an obligation to explain how to address the unacceptable result that would likely bring about: Hamas left in place with more than 200 hostages, with a capacity and stated intent to repeat October 7th again and again and again.”

Looking ahead to after the war, Blinken said: “Key elements should include no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. ... No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks. No re-occupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza. We must also ensure no terrorist threats can emanate from the West Bank."

Besides the monthlong conflict in Gaza following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which militants killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, the G-7 envoys dealt with a flurry of other crises, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and China’s growing aggression in territorial disputes with its neighbors. There has also been a push for cooperation to combat pandemics, synthetic opioids, and threats from the misuse of artificial intelligence.

Since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the G-7 has held together in defense of the international order that originally emerged after the destruction of World War II. Despite some fraying around the edges, the group has preserved a unified front in condemning and opposing Russia’s invasion.

“Our steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine’s fight for its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity will never waver,” the statement said.

Blinken has been pushing to significantly expand the amount of humanitarian aid being sent to Gaza and to get Israel to agree to “pauses” in its military operation to allow that assistance to enter and more civilians to exit. Israel remains unconvinced, and Arab and Muslim nations are demanding an immediate full cease-fire, something the U.S. opposes. There has also been resistance to discussing Gaza’s future, with the Arab states insisting that the immediate humanitarian crisis must be addressed first.

There have been some small cracks in the G-7 over Gaza, reflecting the intense public passions that have manifested themselves in massive pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations in G-7 capitals and elsewhere.

Last month at the U.N. Security Council, for instance, France voted in favor of a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza that was vetoed by the U.S. because it didn’t go far enough in condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel, which ignited the war. Britain abstained from that vote.

Blinken arrived in Tokyo from Turkey, the last stop on a four-day whirlwind tour of the Middle East that began with visits to Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq. From Japan, he will travel to South Korea and then on to India.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.