Sweden plans Gaza aid talks with Israel, EU countries: Premier

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Sweden has “initiated” a meeting with Israel’s Foreign Ministry, several EU member states and other partners to address the “urgent need to improve humanitarian access to Gaza,” the Swedish prime minister said on Thursday.

“The life and health of children in Gaza must be protected,” Ulf Kristersson said on X.

Kristersson’ comments come after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Thursday dubbed Israel's war on Gaza a "disgrace for civilization" while calling for an "immediate cease-fire."

"It is a tragedy for humankind and a disgrace for civilization that today, in the 21st century, this humanitarian disaster cannot be stopped," Wang told journalists at a Beijing press conference.

Sweden, alongside many other European nations, the US, UK, and Australia have halted funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA over Israeli allegations that some of its members were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks.

The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide on Monday urged the world to stand by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini accused Tel Aviv of having a “long-term political goal” of “destroying” the UN aid agency.

“At the moment, we are dealing with an expanded, concentrated Israeli campaign, which is aimed at destroying UNRWA,” Lazzarini said in an interview published by Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger last month.

Last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned the Security Council of “imminent famine in the Gaza Strip,” urging immediate action to prevent a humanitarian disaster in a territory where many Council members warned that Israel is using “the hunger as a weapon of war.”