Japan has declared sanctions against three high-ranking members of Hamas, the Palestinian armed group.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa announced on Tuesday that Tokyo would freeze assets owned by these three individuals and impose sanctions on their payments and capital transactions.
Yoshimasa said that these individuals, although unnamed, are suspected to have played roles in Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel and possess the capability to utilize funds for potential future attacks.
This move follows Tokyo’s earlier imposition of sanctions on nine individuals and a company over alleged connections to Hamas.
Japan has strived to navigate a delicate path concerning the conflict in Gaza, balancing relations with the United States, its primary ally, and its connections with energy suppliers in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio condemned the October 7 attacks on Israel and called for the immediate release of Hamas’s captives while expressing concern about civilian deaths and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Japan earlier this month supported a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, after abstaining from a similar vote in October.