Norway's Foreign Minister Eide gave an interview to NHK as countries move to suspend funding to UN agencies responsible for aid in the Gaza Strip due to suspicions that they were involved in attacks on Israel by the Islamic organization Hamas. , called for the continuation of aid, saying that the suspension of aid was "collective punishment for the Palestinian people."
Norwegian Foreign Minister Eide gave an exclusive interview to NHK on the 12th.
In this regard, Foreign Minister Aide spoke about the United States, Japan, and other countries announcing a temporary suspension of funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) staff in response to suspicions that they were involved in attacks on Israel by Hamas. He said the allegations were serious and needed to be investigated, but added, ``Even if they are true, it would be wrong to suspend support for the entire organization.''
He added, ``If UNRWA is unable to fulfill its mission, it will punish Palestinian refugees and other people living in terrible conditions in the Gaza Strip, making the situation even worse.This is collective punishment for the Palestinian people.'' appealed.
Regarding the establishment of an international verification group to evaluate UNRWA's activities in cooperation with Norwegian research institutes, he said, ``While it is necessary to conduct a thorough investigation, it is also necessary to do so quickly in order to break the deadlock.'' '', he pointed out the need to hurry up and compile the report, which is scheduled for April this year.
Norway mediated the Oslo Accords for peace between Israel and Palestine in 1993, and in 2022 it will be the 5th largest contributor to UNRWA, and was one of the first to contribute to UNRWA even as other countries stopped their contributions. He announced his intention to continue.