Japan Gives US$10 Million Humanitarian Aid To Gaza

JAKARTA - Japan will provide assistance of 10 million US dollars (IDR 156.5 billion) for Gaza Strip civilians, to face a humanitarian crisis amid the Israeli conflict and Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said.

Kamikawa plans to hold telephone talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian late Tuesday to help reduce tensions in the Middle East as quickly as possible.

"We will continue to make diplomatic efforts to gain humanitarian access so that the necessary assistance such as food, water and supplies of medicines and health can be given to innocent civilians and Palestinian refugees," Kamikawa said as quoted by ANTARA from Kyodo, Tuesday, October 17.

"Humanitarian aid will be channeled through international institutions," said Kamikawa without explaining further.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since Hamas launched a surprise attack from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel on October 7, which sparked an Israeli counter-attack. Thousands of people died from both sides.

The humanitarian situation in Hamas-controlled Gaza immediately worsened as Israel surrounded the Palestinian's pockets and cut off basic services, apart from Israel's orders to Gazans to move from northern Gaza which displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Japan is very dependent on imports of crude oil from Middle Eastern countries. This country has long been in friendly relations with this region.

Kamikawa, who took office about a month ago, has called her colleagues from Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel and Palestine.