Japan on Thursday said Israel and Hamas agreeing on the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza Strip peace plan was a"significant first step" toward ending the conflict and achieving a two-state solution.

"We strongly value the tireless efforts of mediating countries including the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, and urge all parties to implement the agreement faithfully and steadily," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday that the two sides had signed off on the first phase of his 20-point plan to end the fighting, with all hostages to be released and Israel to withdraw its troops to"an agreed upon line." Negotiations in Egypt began Monday.

Looking toward a possible conclusion to the conflict, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi said Japan will continue working with partners to"swiftly improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and actively contribute to international efforts toward early recovery and reconstruction."

In September at the United Nations, Japan stopped short of joining the growing list of countries recognizing Palestinian statehood. It maintains that a two-state solution is the only viable path to peace, and that recognition is a matter of when, not if.

The current conflict in the Palestinian region began after militant group Hamas launched an attack in Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking hundreds of others captive in October 2023, prompting massive Israeli retaliation and the deaths of over 67,000 people in Gaza. Many people in Gaza have faced starvation in the ongoing conflict.