Minister Eide's statement at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting in Brussels

Good afternoon, everybody and a very warm welcome; Prime Minister, Ministers, Excellencies, Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen. 

Welcome to this meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC). Thank you very much to High Representative Kaja Kallas and the EU for hosting us today. And also, to our co-sponsor the United States and the AHLC rapporteurs, which are the World Bank, IMF, UN and the Office of the Quartet, for their participation.  

We are truly grateful that our friend the Prime Minister of Palestine, HE Mr. Muhammad Mustafa is with us.

As a member of the AHLC, Israel has also been invited. The door will always remain open for their participation.

Since our last meeting, we have seen the emergence of the ceasefire in Gaza and the 20 Point Plan for peace, which addresses all of Palestine, that needs implementation. This plan has created a new dynamic which we should utilize to achieve the reconstruction of Gaza and the fulfillment of the right of statehood for the Palestinian people.

I think everybody here knows that we come out of a time where many other crises have drawn attention, but we still remember the importance of this quintessential Middle Eastern issue: building a Palestinian state and ensuring lasting peace between the people of Palestine and the people of Israel in the broader context og Middle Eastern peace.   

And I am also very happy that we are joined by some special guests from the Board of Peace for Gaza at this meeting. We welcome you. Their presence will enable us to have one common conversation on the issues at hand. And again, this is the first time we meet together in this format. I think that is a very good thing that should be celebrated.

The main objective for today’s meeting is for everyone to step up their concrete efforts on the ground. Let’s be practical. We are determined that the future for all the people in the region must be a better one. That our shared goals of peace must be implemented. For that to happen we, as donors, must pull in the same direction.

The Palestinian people and the Palestinian population have rights. And they need new hope and new opportunities. Palestinian children all over the country need schools, which requires both reconstruction and payment of salaries to Palestinian teachers. Hospitals need to be rebuilt, and health workers must be paid.

The constant strain on public employees and the continued movement and access restrictions in the West Bank is not tenable, nor the limited control over natural resources, and a weakened private sector. At the same, escalating violence, settler attacks, and Israeli military incursions, are jeopardizing the pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood – longstanding and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

We must therefore find ways to step up our financial support to the PA. Budget support is vital for the survival and strengthening of the Palestinian institutions in the whole of Palestine. Norway is making one new contribution today of 10 million USD to budget support. We encourage others to contribute as well, and we will of course also discuss larger projects as we move on in this meeting. 

We continue to request Israel to transfer the Palestinian clearance revenues in full, as they are legally obliged to do, and to ensure corresponding banking relations.  Donors can never replace Palestine’s own revenues. Palestinian reforms must underpin the needs and wishes of the Palestinian population.

The 20-Point Peace Plan and Security Council resolution 2803 must be implemented. Moving Gaza from war to recovery requires choices by all parties. The UN Security Council has given the new transitional arrangements for Gaza a defined and temporary role, focused on stabilisation, early recovery and reconstruction, providing an agreed international framework for moving towards recovery and a political horizon. For Hamas, the choice is clear: give up weapons so that aid, recovery and the aspirations of the Palestinians can move forward.

We welcome the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, which is just out for the AHLC, and which will serve as an essential baseline for adequate projects moving forward. The World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations estimate that 71,4 billion USD is needed to finance the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. And that’s Gaza alone. After more than two years of intense war, 80 percent of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed. The UN estimates that 61 million tons of debris must be cleared.

The clean-up effort in Gaza is a priority for my country, Norway, which is currently supporting UN-led efforts with USD 380 million. This work will take many years, but the fact that it is beginning offers a measure of hope.

AHLC members would be expected to contribute. Norway’s own support to Palestine in 2026 is planned to be over 80 million USD.

Our support should take the form of new funding where appropriate, but also by aligning and scaling up existing assistance and ongoing work through established channels.

What matters most is that international support is coherent, coordinated and directed toward the same objective: improving conditions on the ground in Gaza while safeguarding Palestinian institutional continuity and ownership.

Colleagues,

After the EU and the US have given their opening remarks, I will give the floor to Prime Minister Mustafa, followed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Safadi, the UN and the World Bank. Then, I will give the floor to our guests, the Board of Peace in Gaza, represented by High Representative Mladenov. Ministers, countries and organizations who request to speak will be given the floor to speak to the different issues presented.

Friends, the coming months will be crucial for regional stability. The situation in Palestine is more critical than ever. We have gathered all the key actors together in this room. Let’s use this opportunity, let’s be concise, let’s be practical, let’s be to the point and focused on the real needs and the real outcomes.

Thank you and over to you, Kaja.