Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Ede said on Tuesday – in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos – that a number of European countries, Arab countries and the United States are working on developing a vision for forming a unified Palestinian government that can attract funds for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
Barth explained that a number of countries are working together in an attempt to form a unified Palestinian unity government, without revealing these countries, or adding any other details.
He continued that Norway believes that the Palestinian territories should be administered by the Palestinian Authority, and the authority that governs the Palestinian territories must be what the Palestinians want.
He pointed out that working on a two-state solution has become urgent with the spread of the conflict in the region, but only the United States and the Israeli people are able to influence Israel’s position, as he put it.
Israel rejects the two-state solution, saying that if a Palestinian state is established, it must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security.
It is noteworthy that Norway served as a facilitator in the talks between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, in the period between 1992-1993, which led to the Oslo Agreement in 1993.
Since the Oslo talks, Norway has chaired a donor group that coordinates international aid to the Palestinian territories, the Special Liaison Committee, and has worked with others to try to revive a diplomatic channel between Israel and the Palestinians.
It is noteworthy that the government media office in Gaza reported that about 65,000 housing units were destroyed or were no longer fit for habitation, which means that about half a million people no longer have a home to shelter in.