President Mahmoud Abbas Monday received Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, on the sidelines of his participation in the special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.
The President briefed the efforts made to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, and to bring in humanitarian and medical aid immediately, to stop the famine to which Palestinian people are exposed in the besieged Strip, once again warning of the danger of the occupation invading Rafah, which will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
President Abbas touched on the dangerous Israeli escalation in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the continuation of daily raids on Palestinian cities, towns and camps, killing citizens, intimidating civilians and destroying their property, as well as the continuation of the crimes of terrorist colonists and attacks on Islamic and Christian sanctities, especially in the city of Jerusalem.
The President appreciated the European Union Council’s decision to impose sanctions on colonists and two Israeli extremist groups for their involvement in acts of violence against Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.
The President also touched on the difficult economic and financial conditions that the State of Palestine is going through, as a result of the Israeli government’s continued detention of Palestinian “clearance” funds.
President Abbas called on Norway to put pressure on the Israeli government to release Palestinian funds and the necessity of holding an international donors conference to mobilize financial support to help the new Palestinian government so that it can carry out its tasks in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
The President also briefed the efforts of the State of Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations, valuing the efforts of Norway and other European countries to recognize the Palestinian state.
President Abbas touched on the aggressive campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stressing the importance of continuing to support the international agency that provides aid and relief to approximately 6.4 million refugees, including two million refugees in the Gaza Strip who are subjected to ongoing Israeli aggression.
source: WAFA
