RIYADH: Arab and Islamic officials on Friday held talks with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and foreign ministers of Nordic and Benelux countries in Oslo, the Saudi foreign ministry said.
The members of the Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit under the chairmanship of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan included foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Turkiye and the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
They met their counterparts from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
During the talks, they discussed the dangerous developments in the Gaza Strip, and the continuation of the Israeli military escalation toward unarmed civilians, renewing their unified position against Israel’s continued aggression against the Palestinian people in the besieged enclave.
They called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, and to ensure the protection of civilians, as stipulated in international humanitarian law.
The members of the committee also called for addressing all the flagrant violations practiced by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people, which increase the humanitarian tragedy and hinder the entry of urgent humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip,
They stressed the importance of holding Israel accountable for the ongoing violations in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which violate international law and international humanitarian law.
The members of the committee stressed the importance of taking serious and urgent steps to ensure the securing of relief corridors for the delivery of urgent humanitarian, food and medical aid to the Gaza Strip, expressing their refusal to restrict the entry of humanitarian aid quickly and safely.
The members of the committee reiterated the need for creating serious political conditions that lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, expressing their rejection of compartmentalizing the Palestinian issue and discussing the future of the Gaza Strip separately from the overall Palestinian issue.
“We need a ceasefire now and we need immediate, full, and unrestricted humanitarian access,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Citing last week’s UN General Assembly vote calling for a halt to the fighting, the minister said: “Clearly, the international community has spoken and I hope we can implement that desire.”
“There is a growing understanding that we cannot talk about what next in the context of Gaza… we need to talk about what next in the context of Palestine.”
Prince Faisal said a state for the Palestinian people would bring about an end to the cycle of violence.
“We have known this for decades, and it is time to bring that into action”
Prince Faisal bin Farhan then held talks with his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide, during his visit to Oslo, where they discussed relations between Saudi Arabia and Norway and ways to enhance cooperation in various fields.
They also addressed the recent developments in the Gaza Strip and the importance of taking urgent steps to implement a ceasefire.
The ministers discussed the significance of establishing a conducive political environment to achieve a comprehensive and just peace. This includes guaranteeing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and contributing to international security and peace.
