EU countries are still discussing the idea of a humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas but there are different ways to get much-needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza, Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billstrom said on Monday.

“The discussions are ongoing, but the question really isn’t about a ceasefire, but about how to bring aid forward and that can be done in very many different ways,” he told reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

He said Sweden preferred a UN proposal for a humanitarian corridor.

Earlier on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell voiced support for a “humanitarian pause” but some of the bloc’s foreign ministers expressed reservations about the idea.

Opinion

Editorial

Lull in fighting
Updated 28 Jul, 2026

Lull in fighting

AFTER two weeks of escalating violence, the US has halted its strikes on Iran, with Tehran also silencing it guns....
Water policy
28 Jul, 2026

Water policy

THE country is caught in a crisis where there too much water at the wrong time and too little when it is most ...
Ending hepatitis
28 Jul, 2026

Ending hepatitis

WORLD Hepatitis Day is being observed under the theme ‘Hepatitis: Let’s break it down’, a call to remove the...
Writing on the wall
27 Jul, 2026

Writing on the wall

EVERY few months, another set of figures reminds Pakistan of a painful reality. Sahil’s latest Six Months Cruel...
Still unprepared
27 Jul, 2026

Still unprepared

EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for ...
Delayed devolution
27 Jul, 2026

Delayed devolution

THE debate over Islamabad’s reluctance to fully let go of devolved subjects has been running since 2010. But it ...