Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone that it is important to minimise civilian casualties in the fighting with Hamas, Reuters reports.

“Prime Minster Kishida stated continued growth in the number of civilian casualties should be avoided, and that it is important to calm the situation swiftly, minimise civilian casualties and observe international law, including international humanitarian law,” a Foreign Ministry announcement has said.

In response, Netanyahu set out Israel’s position on the military operation in Gaza, the announcement said, without elaborating.