OSLO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Saturday urged the international community to step up efforts to end the war in Gaza and advance a two-state solution, as Norway marked the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
In a statement, Eide extended his condolences "to all those who have lost loved ones; children, parents, siblings and friends," and underlined the scale of the civilian suffering caused by the conflict.
"Over the past two years, over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and many more have been injured. The suffering has been immense. Millions have been displaced. The situation in the West Bank is also very serious. The occupation, settler violence, and settlement expansion are making the situation increasingly intolerable," he said.
Eide said the current fragile ceasefire in Gaza offered, for the first time in more than two years, "a glimmer of hope," but warned that it would require concerted international engagement to translate that opening into sustainable peace.
"It is crucial that the international community stands united and strongly engages in the work to bring this war to an end and secure a lasting, political solution," he said, stressing his advocacy for the two-state solution.
The foreign minister stressed that any credible peace effort must address the underlying drivers of the conflict, including the occupation of Palestinian territory, and ensure Palestinian ownership of political processes.
Norway, Eide said, as a long supporter of Palestine's social and economic development, is committed to that engagement. "Norway will contribute where we can, so that the Palestinians can once again see a way out of the war and hope for the future, and so that a Palestinian state can become a reality," he added. ■
