Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa stated today, Tuesday, that his country will resume funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to support the Palestinians, after suspending support last January following Israeli allegations of agency employees’ involvement in Hamas attacks on October 7.

Kamikawa told reporters in Tokyo, according to the official Japanese news agency Kyodo, that a contribution of about 35 million dollars which was scheduled for the fiscal year 2023 ending in March will be delivered soon to UNRWA.

Kamikawa added that the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate, and that it is his country’s responsibility to respond to the crisis as a member of the United Nations Security Council.. according to him, he continued that UNRWA’s participation "is essential to provide humanitarian support."

The resumption, backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party earlier today, comes after Japan joined the United States and others in late January in suspending the agency’s funding, following reports of possible involvement of ten UNRWA staff in Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7.

So far, countries such as Canada, Australia, Sweden, Finland, and France have decided to resume their contributions to UNRWA.