ROME, April 26, 2025 (WAFA) – Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mohammad Mustafa, met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on the sidelines of his participation in the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Mustafa emphasized the urgent need to intensify international pressure on Israel, the occupying Power, to halt its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and to open the border crossings into the besieged enclave, which have remained closed by the Israeli occupation since early March, warnning that the ongoing closure exacerbates the risk of the worsening famine.
He stressed the critical need for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid amid severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities. He also called for an end to the Israeli occupation army and settler attacks across the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Mustafa underscored the importance of pressuring Israel to cease its financial warfare against the Palestinian people, particularly the illegal deductions from Palestinian tax revenues, which severely undermine the Government’s ability to meet its obligations. He further stressed the urgent need for the full release of all withheld Palestinian funds.
The Prime Minister briefed Foreign Minister Eide on the progress made by the Palestinian Government in advancing reforms and development programs, reaffirming the Government’s full readiness to assume its responsibilities in Gaza and to begin reconstruction efforts immediately upon the cessation of Israeli aggression.
Mustafa also expressed appreciation to Norway for accrediting the first Palestinian ambassador following Norway’s recognition of the State of Palestine on May 28 of last year.
For his part, Foreign Minister Eide commended the comprehensive briefing provided by the Prime Minister and underscored the importance of intensifying joint efforts to end the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. He also praised the Palestinian Government’s reform and development efforts and reaffirmed Norway’s firm support for the State of Palestine.
The two sides agreed to maintain close coordination and continue joint efforts to halt the genocidal war, facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, and empower the Palestinian Government to fulfill its responsibilities toward the Palestinian people.
M.N
