Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko has met children from the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

The Foreign Ministry says Kamikawa met the three junior high school students on Saturday at the headquarters of UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees in Jordan. They have been stranded in the country because of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Kamikawa said the tragic situation in Gaza is heartbreaking, and that she hopes the children will be reunited with their families and friends as soon as possible. She added that Japan will work for swift de-escalation of the situation.

She then shook hands with the children and hugged them.

She also promised Japan's continued support for UNRWA.