Oslo — Norway’s foreign minister has delivered one of the strongest rebukes yet from a European nation against Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, condemning what he described as clear violations of international law and acts that put an already devastated population at further risk.
Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, said Israel’s attempt to seize Gaza City amounted to an escalation of catastrophic proportions, worsening a war that has already stripped Palestinians of food, medicine, and the means to survive. “A population that has already suffered immensely is now placed in extreme danger,” he said, stressing that international law leaves no room for such attacks against civilians.
The Norwegian government underscored that humanitarian access has become nearly impossible as Israel expands its offensive, effectively weaponizing aid and using starvation as a tactic of control. For Norway, a nation that has long promoted itself as a champion of peace negotiations, the condemnation reflects a widening gap between Israel’s justifications and Europe’s tolerance for its brutality.
Officials in Oslo have also warned Western powers of double standards, pointing to the hypocrisy of denouncing Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine while continuing to shield Israel diplomatically. Eide cautioned that ignoring Israel’s breaches of humanitarian law would not only undermine the credibility of the West but also erode the foundations of international justice itself.
The statement follows a broader wave of criticism inside Norway, where the country’s sovereign wealth fund faces scrutiny over investments in Israeli companies linked to military operations. Critics say such financial entanglements contradict Norway’s calls for accountability and expose a moral dissonance between its rhetoric and its economic choices.
According to the IRNA, Norway condemned Israel’s crimes in Gaza on August 25, 2025, calling for an immediate end to the assault and warning of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the enclave.
According to a separate statement published by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eide specifically described Israel’s attack on Gaza City as a dangerous escalation that violates international law, demanding that it cease without delay.
