Japan has urged Israel to suspend its assault on the besieged Gaza Strip to allow humanitarian assistance in.
The request was made in a meeting between Japan's state minister for foreign affairs and Israel's ambassador to Japan late on Wednesday, according to a statement by the ministry on Thursday.
Russia and China on Wednesday vetoed a U.S. push for the United Nations Security Council to call for humanitarian pauses in the fighting, which has claimed thousands of lives. A Russian-drafted text that called for a ceasefire also failed.
As part of its effort to calm the Middle East conflict, the Japanese government is making final arrangements to send Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa to Israel and Jordan on Nov. 2-5, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported.