Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement saying it’s “deeply concerned” about “reports of an Israeli military operation in Rafah”, Al Jazeera reports.

“As the humanitarian situation on the ground deteriorates and the number of civilian casualties, including a large number of children, women, and elderly people, continues to rise, it is crucial to improve the humanitarian situation as soon as possible and to secure an environment in which humanitarian assistance activities can be carried out to achieve this,” the statement said.