Norway FM slams Western silence on Israel’s genocide in Gaza

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has voiced deep concern over the silence of some countries regarding Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and denounced the reluctance of foreign ministers to issue statements of condemnation, Anadolu reported.

This came during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, yesterday, following a meeting at the Turkish Foreign Ministry in the capital, Ankara.

“The silence of others on what is happening in Gaza worries me,” Eide said, adding: “Many of my Western counterparts are making a grave mistake by not clarifying their views.”

Regarding Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its global impact, Eide said Norway has not remained silent on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and was among the first countries to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

“We were among the first countries to say that Israel’s response to the attacks of October 7 went far beyond international human rights law or the principle of proportionality,” he said, emphasising that consistency in this position is crucial.

“We must defend human rights and international legal laws and principles, and we believe that these rules must be applied in all circumstances,” he added.

Israel has killed more than 51,400 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, most of them women and children.

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