– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs works continuously to find solutions for Norwegian citizens, and that they coordinate closely with other countries, says Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt to Dagbladet
The Rafah border crossing with Egypt remains closed.
At the time of writing, there are 170 Norwegian citizens in Gaza who want assistance from the Norwegian authorities. This means that around 20 Norwegians have registered for travel to the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours.
– Worse
– The situation in Gaza is unclear and is getting worse with each passing hour. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs works continuously to find solutions for our citizens, and coordinates closely with other countries. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt is still closed, says Huitfeldt.
At the latest on Sunday afternoon, the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the USA, Antony Blinken, claims that the Rafah border will be reopened. Huitfeldt tells Dagbladet that intensive work is underway at the diplomatic level, and that she is in contact with her colleagues in Israel and Egypt, among other places.
– We cannot guarantee that it will be possible for Norwegian citizens to cross this transition. The border can both be opened and closed at short notice, she says.
– All parties have a responsibility to protect civilians. I have been clear about that in my conversations, including with Egypt’s foreign minister and the head of the UN’s work for Palestinian refugees.
Enhanced travel advice
On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tightened the travel advice for Lebanon, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas affects the situation in the country.
On Sunday, the United Nations reported that the headquarters of its peacekeeping forces in Lebanon had been hit by a rocket. None of the members were in shelters, but no one is said to have been injured.
They also wrote in a statement that on Sunday there had been several exchanges of fire along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
Huitfeldt states that there is uncertainty about the further development.
– The possibilities for traveling out of Lebanon have been limited in a short time. Several airlines have stopped their flights, says Huitfeldt to Dagbladet.
She encourages Norwegian citizens to contact the travel council and register in the Reiseklar app or at reiseregistrering.no.
2023-10-15 20:12:17
#Norwegians #Gaza #Strip
