| Speaking to the UN Security Council Tuesday the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said he added his voice to all those who demand an immediate effective and viable cease fire and cessation of hostilities in the Gaza conflict. - The Hamas launching of rockets targeting civilians inside Israel must stop. The Israeli shelling of Gaza from air, sea and land must stop. Norway condemns the heavy ground operations exposing thousands and thousands of civilians, - killing innocent women, men and children, Stoere said. - This escalation does not lead to peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians. It is the dreadful road to death, destruction, hatred and more desperation. It is the recipe for revenge and more terror. - Political goals, as legitimate as they may be, will not be reached through war, military onslaught and destruction. There will come a day after this war. And on that day people in Gaza and Israel will still live next to each other. Palestinians will still be deprived of their unity and of their state and Israelis will still be deprived of security. - The Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security, has so far been incapable of making any decision in the matter. This is a fact that I have a hard time trying to explain to the people of my country, who together with hundreds of millions around the world see the flickering TV images of grave human suffering day in day out. Today, the news of the shelling of the school, where people had sought refuge, shocked us even more. - I therefore place hope in the French-Egyptian initiative for an immediate ceasefire. As that initiative takes shape, I would hope that the details be confirmed by a Security Council resolution. The Norwegian Foreign Minister was invited to address the Security Council as Chair of the donor support group to the Palestinian Authority, the AHLC. Stoere said that throughout the last years Gaza has been a major concern, not least as a result of internal Palestinian strife and division but also as a result of the Israeli siege of the enclave. He pointed out that before the outbreak of war, the isolation of Gaza had devastated the private sector, increased poverty and malnutrition, and undermined the social and economic fabric of Gaza. The civilian population has been caged and severely traumatized. As this ongoing war escalates, the already insufficient supplies of water and energy have more or less completely stopped. The main sewage plant in the North of Gaza is on the verge of collapse. - We urgently need to address this humanitarian disaster, Stoere said. - When hostilities cease, we need to start assessing the needs, both immediate and long term. These will have to be determined by a World Bank and UN-led fact finding and assessment mission. - Before then, immediately, we must ease the suffering of the civilian population. International Humanitarian Law is crystal clear: Civilians should be protected. It is unacceptable that Hamas exposes civilians by taking their military arsenal and their fighting to densely populated areas. We call on Israel to comply with its obligations under the Geneva Conventions to allow unhindered access of humanitarian supplies to Gaza. - We urgently call on Israel to secure that food, water and medicines gain access and unhindered distribution to the civilian population inside Gaza. We must empower the most effective providers of humanitarian assistance to conduct their activities. UNWRA is critical in this context. - And let me add: Since the beginning of hostilities, independent reporters have been denied access to the war zone. This is regrettable and unacceptable. We demand of Israel that reporters are allowed to do their regular work inside Gaza, the Norwegian Foreign Minister said. (NRK/Press release) Rolleiv Solholm |
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