Latest news with #Funakoshi
South Wales Guardian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Aid groups have collected some supplies from Gaza crossing, says UN
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian agency OCHA, said the trucks that entered carried medicine, wheat flour and nutrition supplies. Aid groups faced significant challenges distributing the aid because of insecurity, the risk of looting and coordination issues with Israeli authorities, Mr Laerke added. Under international pressure, Israel has allowed dozens of aid trucks into Gaza after blocking all food, medicine, fuel and other material for nearly three months. But the supplies have been sitting on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel. Also on Thursday, international leaders were reacting to the shooting of two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC the previous day. The attack was seen by officials in Israel and the US as the latest in a growing wave of antisemitism as Israel ramps up its offensive in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Japan's Foreign Ministry says it has made 'a severe protest' to Israel over its military's firing of warning shots at a diplomatic delegation including Japanese diplomats that was visiting a refugee camp in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Wednesday. Vice-minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi summoned the Israeli Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, to request a full explanation and preventive measures. Mr Fukakoshi told Mr Gilad the incident was 'deeply regrettable and should not have happened'. Mr Funakoshi also reiterated Japan's strong concern over Israel's attempted reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and the expansion of military operations, urging it to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid into Gaza, the foreign ministry said. Mr Funakoshi also offered his condolences on the killing of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC, stating that 'terrorism is not tolerated anywhere in the world'.
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Aid groups have collected some supplies from Gaza crossing, says UN
Aid groups have collected humanitarian aid carried by about 90 trucks, out of a total of nearly 200 that have entered Gaza since Israel began allowing limited goods in earlier this week, the United Nations said. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian agency OCHA, said the trucks that entered carried medicine, wheat flour and nutrition supplies. Aid groups faced significant challenges distributing the aid because of insecurity, the risk of looting and coordination issues with Israeli authorities, Mr Laerke added. Workers unload cargo from a truck carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip at the offload area of the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza (Leo Correa/AP) Under international pressure, Israel has allowed dozens of aid trucks into Gaza after blocking all food, medicine, fuel and other material for nearly three months. But the supplies have been sitting on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel. Also on Thursday, international leaders were reacting to the shooting of two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC the previous day. The attack was seen by officials in Israel and the US as the latest in a growing wave of antisemitism as Israel ramps up its offensive in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Japan's Foreign Ministry says it has made 'a severe protest' to Israel over its military's firing of warning shots at a diplomatic delegation including Japanese diplomats that was visiting a refugee camp in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Wednesday. Palestinians inspect a house destroyed by an Israeli airstrikes in Deir al-Balah, Gaza (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Vice-minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi summoned the Israeli Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, to request a full explanation and preventive measures. Mr Fukakoshi told Mr Gilad the incident was 'deeply regrettable and should not have happened'. Mr Funakoshi also reiterated Japan's strong concern over Israel's attempted reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and the expansion of military operations, urging it to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid into Gaza, the foreign ministry said. Mr Funakoshi also offered his condolences on the killing of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC, stating that 'terrorism is not tolerated anywhere in the world'.
Japan Today
17-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
No. 2 Japan, U.S. diplomats agree to establish regular talks
The No. 2 diplomats of Japan and the United States have agreed to schedule regular talks, hopefully at least twice a year, to reinforce cooperation on security issues in the Indo-Pacific and on various other fronts, regardless of tensions over tariffs, a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said. Takehiro Funakoshi, Japan's vice foreign minister, held his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in Washington on Friday. They discussed topics including boosting the deterrence capabilities of the two countries, issues associated with China and North Korea, and cooperation around energy security, according to the official. Landau and Funakoshi discussed "joint work to pursue a new golden era for U.S.-Japan relations," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. She said they also reaffirmed the importance of the alliance as the cornerstone of peace and stability in the region. The Japanese official said they agreed to aim for a meeting involving the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries soon. Both sides said the diplomats also agreed that Japan and the United States will step up cooperation through the Quad grouping of Indo-Pacific democracies involving Australia and India, as well as with South Korea and the Philippines. The ongoing bilateral negotiations on U.S. President Donald Trump's hefty tariffs were not a major topic of discussion during the meeting that lasted about 100 minutes, the official said. But the official said Funakoshi, the Japanese ministry's top bureaucrat, called for U.S. diplomatic support toward a mutually beneficial trade deal. © KYODO
The Mainichi
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
No. 2 Japan, US diplomats agree to establish regular talks
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The No. 2 diplomats of Japan and the United States agreed Friday to schedule regular talks, hopefully at least twice a year, to reinforce cooperation on security issues in the Indo-Pacific and on various other fronts, regardless of tensions over tariffs, a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said. Takehiro Funakoshi, Japan's vice foreign minister, held his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in Washington. They discussed topics including boosting the deterrence capabilities of the two countries, issues associated with China and North Korea, and cooperation around energy security, according to the official. Landau and Funakoshi discussed "joint work to pursue a new golden era for U.S.-Japan relations," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. She said they also reaffirmed the importance of the alliance as the cornerstone of peace and stability in the region. The Japanese official said they agreed to aim for a meeting involving the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries soon. Both sides said the diplomats also agreed that Japan and the United States will step up cooperation through the Quad grouping of Indo-Pacific democracies involving Australia and India, as well as with South Korea and the Philippines. The ongoing bilateral negotiations on U.S. President Donald Trump's hefty tariffs were not a major topic of discussion during the meeting that lasted about 100 minutes, the official said. But the official said Funakoshi, the Japanese ministry's top bureaucrat, called for U.S. diplomatic support toward a mutually beneficial trade deal.
