Several European countries, “interested” Arab countries and the US are working on the concept for a unified Palestinian government that could raise funds for reconstruction, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in an interview in Davos on Tuesday, the 16th of January, reports Reuters.
According to Barth Eide, Norway supports the idea that a unified Palestinian territory should be ruled by the Palestinian Authority. He stressed that it was important
to align the governance structure with the wishes of the Palestinian people.
As per Reuters, Norway coordinated the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 1992-1993 that led to the Oslo Accords and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, which negotiated with Israel for the creation of a Palestinian state before its dissolution in 2014.
After the Oslo talks, Norway chaired the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), a group of donors coordinating international aid to the Palestinian territories and worked with other countries to re-establish diplomatic dialogue between Israel and Palestine
Barth Eide said that work on a two-state solution was becoming urgent
as the conflict unfolds in the region, but only the US and the Israeli people could influence Israel’s position, adding that for others it was left to work on models.
Calls for a two-state solution have intensified following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October and the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in more than 24 000 deaths, according to health authorities.
The two-state agreement envisages a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel, with Israel insisting on the demilitarisation of the Palestinian state to ensure its security, according to Reuters.
The World Economic Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland, this year focusing on the war in Ukraine and Gaza.
Also read: Israel to defend Gaza genocide charges at ICJ
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