(VOVworld) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged 780 million USD in humanitarian assistance during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Tokyo.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe (R) hold a joint press conference following their bilateral meeting, in Tokyo, Japan this month. (Photo: www.middleeastmonitor.com)

Mr. Abbas said the aid will contribute to Palestinian institution-building and the development of the Palestinian economy. He called for an international peace conference and the formation of an international mechanism to end the Israeli occupation. Abbas has warned that Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories will change the conflict from a political conflict to a religious one, stressing that the current Israeli government has been thwarting international efforts to bring an end to the conflict.