By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) – Norway announced on Saturday that it needs an “integrated Palestine” state that includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said during the 22nd Doha Forum's panel discussion titled "Conflict Mediation in a New Era," alongside Qatar's prime minister and India's foreign minister, that "we want an integrated Palestine comprising West Bank, Gaza, and relevant parts of Jerusalem."
"I believe the message now from this region is that that is perfectly doable. There might actually be a major deal, but it has to happen with Palestine.
“It’s not one conflict, but there is a root conflict that connects to all of them, which is the absence of a solution to the Palestinian question,” Eide noted.
The two-day Doha Forum 2024 is being held in Doha with the theme "The Inevitability of Innovation."
According to official estimates, over 4,500 participants from more than 150 countries are in attendance, including seven heads of state, seven prime ministers, and 15 foreign ministers.
Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a cease-fire and a prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the ongoing conflict.
Israel has been conducting a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of more than 44,600 people, the majority of whom are women and children, since October 7, 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.