Norway says a ceasefire for Gaza is only the beginning of a long recovery

AP , Wednesday 15 Jan 2025

Norway’s foreign minister says it’s important to look ahead to the longer-term future as hopes of a ceasefire in Gaza rise.

Espen
Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide meets the press after a meeting with the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo. AFP

 

Espen Barth Eide said at an event in Oslo Wednesday attended by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa that “it’s the moment to deep dive into what will then happen next.”

He cautioned that “just the ceasefire can easily create the sense of vacuum, of unfulfilled hope. And the problems in Gaza would not be over. The divisions will not be over. The hatred would not be laid to rest without a ceasefire.”

Barth Eide said the international community expects “that Israel understands that it’s time to move on and to help solve the long outstanding issue of Palestine. And of course, our friends in Palestine also work effectively together to build a strong government and a strong capacity for all the Palestinian territories to unite, so that both sides have a good partner in building peace.”

Norway is one of three European countries to recognise a Palestinian state in May formally.

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