International support for a two-state solution has grown since Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza. A vast majority of the world’s countries now support a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security and dignity in two independent states.

A total of 146 countries have recognised Palestine as an independent state. Norway formally recognised Palestine as a state on 28 May 2024. Norway considers it important to emphasise that Palestine is the homeland of the Palestinian people. Like the Israelis, the Palestinian people have a fundamental right to self-determination, their own state. The territorial demarcation between the State of Palestine and the State of Israel should be based on the pre-1967 borders, i.e. the demarcation line as set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states and without prejudice to a final settlement on borders, including the use of land swaps.

Norway cooperates closely with the countries in the region through its active diplomacy to promote a two-state solution, for example in the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, where Norway is spearheading efforts together with the EU and Saudi Arabia. The countries neighbouring Israel and Palestine are playing key roles, and the normalisation of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours is crucial to achieving peace and stability in the region.

Since the Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995, Norway has also chaired the international donor group for Palestine, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC). The aim of the AHLC is to develop the institutional and economic foundation for a future Palestinian state based on a negotiated two-state solution. This will require cooperation between Palestine and Israel, and support from the donor countries. Building sustainable Palestinian institutions, strengthening the Palestinian economy and improving the situation for people living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza are key priorities in this context. As chair of the AHLC, Norway has a mandate from the Security Council (Security Council resolution 1860) to coordinate international support to Gaza.

In an advisory opinion issued on 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied territories is in violation of international law and must be brought to an end. Since the conflict between Hamas and Israel started on 7 October 2023, settlement activity in the West Bank has increased; there has been a rise in the number of settlement outposts, an expansion of existing settlements and further seizures of land. There has also been an escalation in settler violence.

On 19 December 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution put forward by Norway with the support of 137 countries. The resolution requests the International Court of Justice in the Hague to issue an advisory opinion clarifying Israel’s obligations under international law to ensure and facilitate the provision of life-saving assistance and basic services by the UN, international organisations and third states to the Palestinian civilian population.

In recent years, Norway has maintained a high overall level of aid to the Palestinians. This includes support to the Palestinian Government, civil society organisations, the UN, the World Bank and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Norway’s support for Palestine and Palestinian refugees in the region amounted to just over NOK 1.8 billion in 2024. Humanitarian needs in Gaza remain enormous, and the scale of destruction is vast. Preliminary estimates indicate that reconstruction will cost at least USD 50 billion.

Education, health and energy are priority areas in Norway’s long-term aid efforts, which are targeted towards building a stronger Palestinian state. This includes budget support for the Palestinian Government. Ensuring respect for and strengthening human rights and gender equality is also important in building a sustainable civil society.