Israel-Hamas war crowds crisis-heavy global agenda as Blinken, G7 foreign ministers meet in Japan

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

TOKYO (AP) — Fresh from a whirlwind tour of the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is shifting his intense diplomacy on the Israel-Hamas war to Asia. Blinken and his counterparts from the G7 leading industrial democracies begin two days of talks in Japan on Tuesday. The devastating monthlong conflict in Gaza and efforts to ease the dire humanitarian impacts of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack are a major focus of the meeting. Yet with the Russia-Ukraine war, fears North Korea may be readying a new nuclear test, and concerns about China’s increasing global assertiveness, it is far from the only crisis on the agenda. Blinken says he’ll brief G7 foreign ministers on the status of his efforts and seeking their advice.