Japan's government will send a batch of humanitarian aid supplies to the Gaza Strip through the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA.

Japanese officials handed a list of aid items to agency officials at a ceremony in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The event was attended by Japan's Ambassador to Egypt, Oka Hiroshi, and Sahar Al-Jobury, head of the UNRWA representative office in Cairo.

The Japanese government is preparing to send 5,000 blankets, 10,000 water containers and other supplies at the request of UNRWA.

The government suspended funding to the agency following allegations that some UNRWA staff members were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel last October.

However, Tokyo announced that it would resume its financial support, citing an improvement in the agency's governance.

Oka said at the ceremony that many countries are resuming their support to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. He said getting aid supplies from Japan into the hands of people in need is important.

Sahar said UNRWA is the only agency for Palestinians and symbol of them. She went on to say that it is the collective responsibility of the international community to keep UNRWA alive, and it should never be abandoned again.