Ceasefire by Ramadan ‘looking tough’, Biden says
- US President Joe Biden says it was “looking tough” for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza by the start of Ramadan. He also said he was concerned about violence in East Jerusalem without a ceasefire.
- Three more children die of malnutrition and dehydration at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, Palestinian officials said, bringing the confirmed toll from starvation to 23.
Sweden resumes aid to UNRWA
Sweden says it is resuming aid to the cash-strapped UN agency for Palestinians with an initial disbursement of $20 million after receiving assurances of extra checks on its spending and personnel.
Like several other countries, Sweden suspended aid to in October after Israel accused about a dozen of its employees of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the conflict in Gaza.
“The government has allocated 400 million kronor to UNRWA for the year 2024. Today’s decision concerns a first payment of 200 million kronor,” the Swedish government said in a statement.
It said that to unblock the aid, UNRWA had agreed to “allow controls, independent audits, to strengthen internal supervision and extra controls of personnel.”
