Oslo: Following the Israeli occupation authorities' recent approval of sweeping changes to land registration and civil control, President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday called for urgent action to halt Israel's annexation of the occupied West Bank. President Abbas made his remarks during a meeting with the President of the Norwegian Parliament (the Storting), Masud Gharahkhani, in Oslo.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Abbas extended his appreciation to Norway for its positions on the Palestinian Question and the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, which culminated in its formal recognition of Palestine as a state, taking effect on May 28, 2024. He also thanked Norway for its continued humanitarian and development assistance.
He briefed the President of the Norwegian Parliament on the situation in Palestine, efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, allow humanitarian aid, alleviate the suffering of Palestinians, advance reconstruction, prevent displacement and annexation, and halt escalating Israeli violations in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem.
Abbas highlighted the need to halt measures undermining Palestinian state institutions and the two-state solution, while entrenching Israel's long-standing military occupation of the West Bank. He urged the EU and the international community to take effective action against these measures in accordance with international law.
He also called on Norway, the EU, the US, and international partners to pressure Israel to cease financial actions against Palestinians, including illegal deductions from tax revenues, and emphasized the necessity of releasing withheld funds.
Abbas urged the Norwegian Parliament to continue supporting human rights and holding the occupation accountable, to ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital.
The President also informed Norway about a national reform program by the Palestinian government aimed at modernizing the legal and institutional system, promoting good governance, and ensuring elections for municipal positions, Fatah's General Conference, and the Palestinian National Council.
