MOSCOW, Jan. 29 (Sputnik) - Tokyo has decided to suspend funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after agency staff were accused of involvement in the attack on Israel by Hamas in October, said the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

"Japan is extremely concerned about the alleged involvement of UNRWA staff members in the terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year. In response, Japan has decided to suspend additional funding to UNRWA for the time being while UNRWA conducts an investigation into the matter and considers measures to address the allegations," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also called on UNRWA to promptly investigate and take action against the suspected employees "so that UNRWA can firmly fulfill the role it should play." The statement noted that Japan would continue to make diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

According to the UNRWA website, the Japanese government allocated $7 million on October 24 to support displaced people affected by the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

On Friday, UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said that Israel shared with UNRWA data on the alleged involvement of some of the agency’s staff members in the Hamas attack, and promised to hold accountable anyone who was implicated in acts of terrorism. The United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and some other countries swiftly responded by suspending funding for UNRWA.

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