ISTANBUL

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Friday discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip with his Saudi and French counterparts, according to a statement from the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Iwaya discussed Gaza and Palestine with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot while visiting France.

The Japanese top diplomat also acknowledged the importance of implementing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the need to improve the critical humanitarian situation with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Thursday, during a visit to that country. Both sides also agreed to continue efforts for the realization of a two-state solution.

The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. It has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Iwaya also discussed the Ukraine-Russia war with both countries.

Faisal and Iwaya discussed energy and defense cooperation as well as US-Iran talks about Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iwaya and Barrot called security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific "inseparable," and discussed ensuring a stable supply of critical minerals, economic cooperation and other cooperation areas.