Unlike members of the quartet, Norway has ignored the international financial embargo placed on the Palestinian Authority and has resumed with direct aid to the administration.In a statement released to the press, the Norwegian government confirmed that, after normalising ties with the Hamas-led government in March, it had released 10 million US$ to the PA to the salaries of Palestinian government employees.
Norway is the only Western state to directly fund the PA since the imposition of the financial embargo following the electoral victory of Hamas in March.
The EU and US refuse to fund the PA because they consider Hamas a terrorist group.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere stated, “We hope our contribution will help to alleviate the current social crisis in the Palestinian Territory […]The critical situation in Gaza has many causes, but it has been exacerbated by social destitution and despair. It is therefore particularly important that the Palestinian authorities receive financial support from the international community.”
The resumption of aid from Norway follows it’s normalization of relations with the Palestinian Government after a meeting between Norwegian representatives and Prime Minister Haniyeh in March.
