Japan is considering providing $32 million in additional humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Wednesday, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas drags on.
At a Group of 20 ministerial gathering in Rio de Janeiro, Kamikawa voiced her "serious concern" about the "critical humanitarian situation" in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave amid Israel's bombardment and besiegement of the area, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.
Reiterating criticisms of the "terrorist attacks" on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7 and expressing "deep concern" over recent Israeli military operations in Gaza's Rafah district, Kamikawa demanded all parties "act from the humanitarian viewpoint," the ministry added.
The planned humanitarian assistance would be delivered through international institutions but would not be provided via the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, a Japanese government official said.
Along with the United States and other Western nations, Japan has suspended funding for UNRWA following allegations that its staff members might have been involved in Hamas' surprise attack on Israel.
In October and November last year, Japan announced plans to offer humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip of $10 million and $65 million, respectively.
At the foreign ministerial meeting, Kamikawa also condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022 as an "outrageous act that shakes the foundation of G20's cooperation" and a "serious challenge to the rule of law," the ministry said.
Among the other participants at the two-day G20 gathering in the Brazilian city through Thursday are U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while China's top diplomat Wang Yi skipped the event.
On the sidelines of the G20 talks, Kamikawa held bilateral meetings on Wednesday with her counterparts from countries such as France, South Korea and Britain.
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