By Bond Robertson 
Israel is violating international law when Israel bans the UN agency UNRWA, according to Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (AFP).
The short version
- Norway wants clarification from the UN international court on whether Israel is violating international law when the country blocks UN and other aid to the Palestinians.
- The government and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide will submit a UN resolution asking the court to issue an advisory opinion, and a majority is expected for such a request.
- The situation in Gaza is described as catastrophic, with severe shortages of food and clean water.
Now the government is raising this issue to the United Nations and asking for clarification from the international court.
We want a legal clarification of Israel's duty to facilitate humanitarian aid to people residing in the occupied territories. Gaza and the West Bank, the Foreign Minister tells VG.
The UN General Assembly can request such an advisory opinion from the UN International Court of Justice. That is why we are raising this issue to the United Nations.
Exerting pressure on Israel
Norway will now gather a core group of countries and write a UN resolution asking the UN court to issue a final legal ruling on Israel's responsibility, as the occupying power, for the population in the Palestinian territories.
Eddy says the goal is to pressure Israel to allow vital aid into Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is now extremely difficult.
The Israeli Knesset decided, on Monday evening, to ban all forms of government cooperation with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
– Eddie says it is shocking to see how Israel has opposed UNRWA over time.
– The Foreign Minister says: – The international community cannot accept that the United Nations, organizations such as the Norwegian Refugee Council, and countries such as Norway face systematic obstacles to providing vital aid to the Palestinian population.
dramatic
Eide says it is still unclear how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government will follow up on the latest decision in the Knesset.
But he fears the worst:
The decision may make it practically impossible for UNRWA to work in the Palestinian territories. It could have dire consequences for millions of civilians who are already living in extremely difficult conditions.
Very disastrous
Espen Barth Eide was in contact with the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, on Monday evening.
– The situation in Gaza is very catastrophic, the Foreign Minister summarized.
– There is ongoing famine in parts of Gaza. People are dying from causes other than bombs, there is a shortage of food and clean water, and a lack of hygiene options. Women have to give birth unaided in a roadside ditch.
– The situation has been harsh in Gaza for a whole year, but it has become worse now. Little aid is coordinated through UNRWA, which tries to keep supply lines open, but opposes this. If the United Nations is now prevented from carrying out this task, there is a risk that what little works will also collapse. Eddie says: Then it will be unbearable for the Palestinians.
Norway hit
In August, Israel withdrew the diplomatic status of Norwegian envoys to Palestine. As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was forced to close its representative office in Al-Ram, and was practically prohibited from continuing its work in the Palestinian territories.
The Israeli government did so after Norway recognized Palestine. Eide described this as an “extremist act” on the part of Israel.
The State Department is not aware that other countries have had a similar reaction against them.
But after this decision, the State Department began to consider whether this could constitute a violation of international law.
– This is not Norway against Israel, but rather the international community for Palestine. We therefore raise the matter to the United Nations General Assembly to clarify Israel's obligations under international law.
-We believe we have a legitimate interest in highlighting it because we have experienced it firsthand. The assumption is that we will get a strong majority at the UN to get legal clarification, says the Foreign Secretary.
Two years of case management
The UN court is expected to spend some time clarifying. It has taken two years since the UN General Assembly asked for an interpretation of international law, until the answer was found in a similar case:
In July, the court concluded that “Israel is obligated to administer the occupied territories in a manner that is in the interest of the local population.”
– Norway wants to prove that no country can exceed its obligations under international law, says Espen Barth Eide.