PEACE campaigners condemned the Group of Seven’s decision today to call for a “humanitarian pause” in Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip as the authoritarian clampdown on support for the Palestinians grows.

After intensive meetings in Tokyo, top diplomats from the G7 countries announced an agreement on a unified stance — condemning Hamas, supporting Israel's right to self-defence and calling for a pause in Israeli attacks to speed up the delivery of aid to desperate civilians in Gaza.

A statement from the summit said: “All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers.”

Israel has already said that it has no intention of accepting a pause or a ceasefire in its attacks, which have killed more than 10,000 Palestinians — far more than the roughly 1,400 Israelis who died during Hamas’s surprise cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7. 

Former South African MP Andrew Feinstein hit back at the G7, saying: “The G7’s refusal to call for a ceasefire amid the genocide in Gaza is appalling. 

“If [it was] committed to peace and humanitarianism, it would demand an immediate ceasefire, apply an arms embargo on Israel and call for the investigation of war crimes,” the ex-ANC politician argued.

Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn said: “Those speaking out against the unfolding horror are making a simple but urgent demand: to stop the killing of human beings. How much longer will politicians ignore our global movement for peace?”

War on Want director Asad Rehman added: “The G7 has once again failed again to uphold international human rights and humanitarian law. 

“It’s clear that this club of rich countries is intent on providing a blank cheque to its allies to commit the same crimes that it so stridently condemned Russia for.”

Meanwhile, the clampdown on pro-Palestinian activists continues to grow.

In an extraordinary step, the US House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to censure Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, for alleged use of the term “from the river to the sea.”

In India, authorities have barred any solidarity protests in Muslim-majority Kashmir and asked Muslim preachers not to mention the conflict in their sermons, according to residents and religious leaders.

The restrictions appear to be part of government efforts to curb any form of protest that could turn into demands for an end to New Delhi’s rule in the disputed region, part of which is held by Pakistan. 

There is widespread support for Israel among far-right Hindu chauvinists, who provide core support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.