NHK has learned that Japanese government officials are making final arrangements to impose sanctions on Hamas amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic group.

Japan has strongly condemned Hamas militants' attacks on and abductions of civilians, describing them as terrorist attacks.

The officials said the sanctions are intended to make Japan's positions clear and to stem the flow of revenue to the group.

Specifically, the government plans to freeze the assets of nine Hamas individuals involved in managing the group's finances and a Gaza-based cryptocurrency exchange used for money transfers.

The United States announced similar sanctions last week.

The government is expected to approve a series of sanctions at a Cabinet meeting next Tuesday.

The officials said Japan plans to do its utmost to deescalate the conflict in the Middle East and improve the human rights situation there.