Japan will provide ¥861 million in grant aid to Palestinian territories for health and hygiene initiatives, the Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry said Wednesday that the aid will be used to provide health and medical services for residents and repair medical facilities in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, in cooperation with the World Health Organization.

Although the Japanese government is not recognizing a Palestinian state for now, it plans to continue and strengthen its support based on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

On Tuesday in New York, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in his speech at a U.N. General Assembly meeting that it is a matter of when, not whether, to recognize Palestinian statehood.