Japanese groups providing humanitarian support to Palestinians have called for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.



Eight groups, including non-profit organizations, held a joint news conference in Tokyo on Friday.



Itoi Shiho from PARCIC, which supports livestock and dairy farming in Gaza, said that a dairy processing factory in the southern part of the strip had become unusable due to the fighting.



Itoi said local female workers were forced to evacuate and now continue to process cheese and other products in a temporary workspace. She also expressed concern over her group's future activities, given that Israeli forces have halted the entry of aid into Gaza.



Kaneko Yuka from Save the Children Japan said more than 270 children died in the week since Israeli forces resumed large-scale attacks on March 18. She stressed the need for a permanent ceasefire.



Kaneko also said that people in Gaza let their guard down during the ceasefire and spent time with their families, and being exposed to attacks again in such a defenseless state has left the local people and the group's staff heartbroken.



At the news conference, the groups also urged the public to pay attention to the situation in the West Bank, saying that the area has seen a series of incidents involving the detention of children and violence by settlers.