Norway urges Israel not to annex parts of the West Bank

Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide says unilateral annexation of strategic parts of the West Bank would 'undermine the potential for a two-state solution'

Reuters|
Norway, which chairs a group of international donors to the Palestinians, urged Israel on Tuesday not to annex parts of the West Bank.
  • Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter

  • Norway heads the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), which met on Tuesday, partly to discuss Israel's plan to extend its sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank.
    2 View gallery
    Norway Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide
    Norway Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide
    Norway Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide
    (Photo: Reuters)
    "Any unilateral step would be detrimental to the (peace) process, and annexation would be in direct violation and contravention of international law," Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said after the meeting.
    Norway helped to broker the 1993 and 1995 Oslo Accords, which provided for interim and limited Palestinian self-rule in the occupied territories, and initiated a now-moribund long-term peace process.
    Soereide said she had spoken on Tuesday with her Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, to urge Israel to resume direct talks with the Palestinians and avoid unilateral moves.
    "It would undermine the potential for a two-state solution," she said.
    2 View gallery
    The Jordan Valley, near the Sea of Galilee
    The Jordan Valley, near the Sea of Galilee
    The Jordan Valley, near the Sea of Galilee
    (Photo: Ynet)
    The AHLC meeting also urged donors to fulfil their financial commitments to the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations' Palestinian aid agency to help fight the spread of the new coronavirus.
    West Bank health authorities reported 388 cases of coronavirus with two deaths as of Monday, while in Gaza, 61 cases and one death were registered.
    Comments
    The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.
    ""