Japan's Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko is heading to Egypt to attend an international conference on how to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Kamikawa will be the first Japanese minister to visit the Middle East after the latest wave of violence erupted between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel earlier this month.

The minister said at a news conference earlier on Friday that she will take part in the Cairo Summit for Peace on Saturday.

Other participants are expected to include key figures from Egypt and other Middle Eastern nations, as well as senior officials of the United Nations.

They are expected to confirm cooperation to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and to prevent an escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Japan has offered about 10 million dollars in humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza.

Kamikawa is expected to say that Japan considers humanitarian aid very important.

The minister said that she wants to contribute to discussions on urgent issues, such as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, how to secure the safety of ordinary citizens, and how to deescalate the situation as soon as possible.