Sweden will no longer fund the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, but will instead provide humanitarian aid to Gaza through other channels, the Swedish minister in charge of relief Benjamin Dusa told Swedish television network TV4 today.

Israel, which will ban UNRWA operations in the country from the end of January, has repeatedly accused the UN agency of being involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.

Sweden’s decision to end funding for UNRWA was taken in light of the Israeli ban, as it will make it more difficult to provide aid to Palestinians through that agency, according to Dusa.

Sweden plans to increase its overall aid to Gaza next year, he added.

“There are several other organizations in Gaza, I was just there and met (representatives) of several of them, the Swedish minister noted, citing the UN World Food Programme (WFP) the UN World Food Programme as a possible recipient.

The UN General Assembly backed UNRWA this month, demanding that Israel respect the agency’s mandate and “allow its operations to continue without hindrance or restriction.”