TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday his government is considering offering medical support in Japan for residents of the conflict-torn Gaza Strip.

"We're making efforts to find ways to accept people in Japan who have fallen ill or been injured in Gaza," Ishiba told a parliamentary session, referring to the Palestinian region attacked by the Israeli military in war against the militant group Hamas.

The premier also told the House of Representatives' Budget Committee that Tokyo will try to launch a special program in which universities can offer opportunities for students from Gaza to study in Japan.

Ishiba made the remarks while answering a lawmaker's question about Japan's readiness to help people in Gaza who are suffering hardships due to air raids and other offensives launched by Israel after the country was attacked by Hamas in October 2023.

Last month, Ishiba pledged that Japan will facilitate the development of Palestine during a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the Southeast Asian country, which has a large Muslim population.

Anwar revealed a plan last week for the Malaysian government to establish a fund with the Japanese government aimed at building hospitals, schools and mosques in the Middle Eastern region.