Sweden will no longer fund the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and plans instead to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza via other channels, the Nordic country’s aid minister Benjamin Dousa told Swedish TV4, according to Reuters.

Sweden’s decision to end funding for UNRWA was in response to the Israeli ban, as it will make channelling aid to the Palestinians via the agency more difficult, Dousa said.

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

“There are several other organisations in Gaza, I have just been there and met several of them,” the minister said, naming the UN World Food Programme as one potential recipient.