Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is concerned about developments in Gaza

“Israel has the right to defend itself, but we call for restraint,” said Foreign Minister Støre. “The continual rocket attacks against Israel are unacceptable, but an Israeli escalation of the situation will strengthen the position of the destructive and extremist factions in Palestinian society.

“In a number of talks with Palestinian leaders during the past few days, I have underscored that it is the Unity Government’s responsibility to bring the security situation under control.

“The recent unrest in Gaza has a number of causes. There is an internal struggle for power, signs of social disintegration and deep despair among ordinary Palestinians,” Mr Støre continued.

“The international community is slowly beginning to show a willingness to enter into contact with the Unity Government. It should be given clearer support in order to strengthen its authority and make it better able to improve the security situation.

“So far, it has not been possible to transfer funds to the Unity Government, and this has exacerbated the constantly deteriorating situation. However, a mechanism has now been established for transferring money, including for budget support, and as I speak, we are preparing to transfer Norwegian support for the Unity Government’s operating budget via the Palestinian Ministry of Finance. These funds are sorely needed and will be used to pay the salaries of public employees, who have gone for a long time without being paid.

“We stand by our demand that Israel must release withheld Palestinian funds,” the Foreign Minister added.