Sweden will no longer fund the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) and will instead provide increased overall humanitarian assistance to Gaza via other channels, the Nordic country said on Friday.

The government’s core support to UNRWA ends,” the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday. UNRWA provides assistance to nearly six million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the occupied West Bank,

Sweden will no longer fund UNRWA, the UN refugee agency for Palestinians, and plans instead to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza via other channels, the Nordic country's aid minister, Benjamin Dousa, told Swedish TV4 on Friday. The Swedish move comes amid criticism alleging the UN organization has collaborated with Hamas.

Minister Chikli hails decision as 'courageous and critical,' says UNRWA 'lost its legitimacy' due to Oct. 7 connections; Sweden says Knesset ban on UNRWA led to decision

Sweden says it will cease funding the UN “Palestinian refugee” agency, cites difficulties from Israeli decision to bar the agency.

Funding earmarked for Gaza will total 800 million kronor (US$72 million) in 2025, but aid to UNRWA, which totaled 451 million kronor in 2024, will be stopped, said the government.

Israel's parliament moved to ban UNRWA activities in occupied Palestinian territories Oct. 28, accusing agency employees of complicity in last year's Hamas attack

"Palestinian armed actors" took over UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA's Jenin health center in the West Bank, and agency staff have been unable to access the site, UNRWA announced on Saturday. Without naming the "Palestinian armed actors,