Japan will provide $10 million in aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip to deal with the humanitarian crisis amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said on Tuesday.

Kamikawa also said at a news conference that Japan and Iran are arranging telephone talks between her and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian later on Tuesday in an effort to help reduce tensions in the Middle East as quickly as possible.

“We will continue to make diplomatic efforts to improve humanitarian access so that necessary assistance, such as food, water, medical and health services, can be provided to innocent civilians and Palestinian refugees,” Kamikawa said.

Kamikawa said that humanitarian aid would be provided through international institutions, without going into details.

Japan relies heavily on crude oil imports from Middle Eastern countries and has traditionally maintained friendly relations with them.

Kamikawa, who assumed her position about a month ago, held telephone conversations with her counterparts from the region, such as Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel and Palestine.