Sweden has decided to temporarily stop providing development aid to Palestinian territories after Hamas unexpectedly attacked Israel. Johan Forssell, the Development Minister, made this announcement during a press conference.
Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers are meeting today to discuss differences among the 27 member states regarding the continuation of aid to Palestinians. This comes after the European Commission initially announced a suspension of all such aid but later reversed its decision.
Johan Forssell, speaking to reporters, stated, “Things have changed after October 7th. Our decision today is that Sweden will temporarily halt development aid to Palestine until we have more information.”
Denmark, a neighboring country, also declared earlier today that it would suspend its aid to Palestine.
The government has instructed the development agency SIDA to examine the aid provided to Palestinians and provide a report by the beginning of December.
Forsell stressed, “We want to make sure that funds provided by Swedish taxpayers do not go to organizations or persons who lack a firm position on important matters, particularly when it comes to opposing terrorism.
“However, it’s important to note that this decision will not impact humanitarian aid, which will continue as usual,” he stated.
