G7 leaders united in supporting 'immediate cease-fire' in Gaza

ATHENS

The G7 leaders on Friday announced they are united in supporting an “immediate cease-fire” in the Gaza Strip.

“We are united in supporting the comprehensive deal that has been put forward, that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a credible pathway towards peace that leads to a two-state solution. We also call for a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance,” the leaders said in a joint statement.

On May 31, Biden said that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

“Standing in solidarity to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom and its reconstruction for as long as it takes. In the presence of President Zelenskyy, we decided to make available approximately USD 50 billion leveraging the extraordinary revenues of the immobilized Russian sovereign assets, sending an unmistakable signal to President Putin. We are stepping up our collective efforts to disarm and defund Russia’s military industrial complex,” said the statement.

Turning to Africa, the leaders said they are advancing efforts to invest in sustainable infrastructure on the continent and have launched the Energy for Growth under Africa initiative with numerous African partners.

Regarding developing countries, they stressed the correlation between poverty reduction and tackling global challenges.

They vowed to make it possible for the World Bank to increase lending by $70 billion while also encouraging the international community to address the debt burden.

The G7 leaders also declared they are deepening cooperation to harness the benefits and manage the risks of artificial intelligence (AI), taking tangible steps to address the triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss and reaffirming their commitment and enhanced cooperation to address migration.