TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan has decided to hold off recognizing Palestinian statehood when world leaders discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict at the U.N. General Assembly next week, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Friday.

"We made a comprehensive decision on what would actually lead to resolving (the conflict)," Iwaya told a press conference, apparently bearing in mind that recognition for now would not help in immediately achieving a cease-fire.

The decision came ahead of an international conference in New York on the proposed two-state solution on Monday that Iwaya is scheduled to participate in.

According to government sources, Japan is concerned that recognition could harden Israel's stance and worsen the humanitarian crisis.

While the United States, Japan's most important ally, has urged Tokyo against recognizing Palestinian statehood, countries such as France and Britain are expected to formally endorse the Palestinian state in the upcoming conference in a bid to pressure Israel to end its devastating assault on Gaza.

Iwaya said that Japan "supports the two-state solution, so the question is not about whether (our country) will recognize Palestinian statehood but when it will do so."

When asked whether the non-recognition is simply an attempt to follow the United States, Iwaya said, "That's not true. We made the decision on our own initiative."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a social media post that he "expressed appreciation for Japan's responsible decision" during a phone conversation with Iwaya.

About 150 countries have already recognized Palestine as a state.

The Japanese government has criticized Israel's military campaign, saying it could undermine the premise of the two-state solution.

"Our country absolutely cannot tolerate Israel's unilateral actions such as the expansion of military operations, including the ground offensive in Gaza City, restrictions on humanitarian assistance and moves to annex the West Bank," Iwaya said.

The top Japanese diplomat also said he held separate phone talks with his U.S., Israeli and Palestinian counterparts on Japan's decision. He called for an immediate cease-fire when speaking to Israel's foreign minister.

All options are possible, including sanctions against Israel and recognition of Palestinian statehood, if the situation does not improve, according to Iwaya.

Last Sunday, he said recognition requires a governing structure able to control all Palestinian territories, citing the presence of Hamas, the Islamist group fighting Israel, as a challenge to achieving such a condition.

Resource-poor Japan, highly dependent on the Middle East for crude oil imports, has traditionally pursued a balanced diplomacy between Muslim nations and Israel.

Japan to hold off on recognition of Palestinian statehood