Norway, Allies Working on Concept for Unified Palestinian Government 

Smoke rises over Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, as seen from Israel January 16, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises over Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, as seen from Israel January 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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Norway, Allies Working on Concept for Unified Palestinian Government 

Smoke rises over Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, as seen from Israel January 16, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises over Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, as seen from Israel January 16, 2024. (Reuters)

A number of European states, concerned Arab countries and the United States are working on a concept for a unified Palestinian government that could attract reconstruction funds, Norway's foreign minister said in an interview in Davos.

"A number of countries are working with us... trying to build a broad unity government," Espen Barth Eide said, without naming the specific countries.

Norway was of the view that a unified Palestinian territory should be run by the Palestinian Authority, but "prefacing everything, it has to be what the Palestinians want", he added.

Norway served as a facilitator in the 1992-1993 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993.

The Palestinian Authority, set up under that agreement, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and held talks with Israel on a Palestinian state before they collapsed in 2014. Hamas has ruled in Gaza since 2007 and is sworn to Israel's destruction.

Since the Oslo talks, Norway has chaired a donor group coordinating international assistance to the Palestinian territories, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), and worked with others to try to revive a diplomatic channel between Israel and the Palestinians.

Barth Eide said work on a two-state solution was becoming urgent as the conflict was spreading in the region, but that only the United States and the Israeli people could influence Israel's position.

"What we can do is work on Palestinian unity, and think about models with interested countries," he said.

Calls for a two-state solution have grown in the wake of attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 in which Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, prompting an Israeli bombardment and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza in which health authorities in the territory say more than 24,000 people have been killed.

A two-state agreement would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security.



Syria to Take Time Organizing National Dialogue, Foreign Minister Says

 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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Syria to Take Time Organizing National Dialogue, Foreign Minister Says

 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

Syria will take its time to organize a landmark national dialogue conference to ensure that the preparations include all segments of Syrian society, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on Tuesday, according to state media.

The conference is meant to bring together Syrians from across society to chart a new path for the nation after opposition factions ousted autocratic President Bashar al-Assad. Assad, whose family had ruled Syria for 54 years, fled to Russia.

"We will take our time with the national dialogue conference to have the opportunity to form a preparatory committee that can accommodate the comprehensive representation of Syria from all segments and governments," Shibani said.

Diplomats and visiting envoys had in recent days told Syria's new rulers it would be better not to rush the conference to improve its chances of success, rather than yield mixed results, two diplomats said.

The new government has not yet decided on a date for the conference, sources previously told Reuters, and several members of opposition groups have recently said that they had not received invitations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday time was needed for Syria to pick itself up again and rebuild following Assad's overthrow, and that the damage to infrastructure from 13 years of civil war looked worse than anticipated.

Since Assad's fall on Dec. 8, Türkiye has repeatedly said it would provide any help needed to help its neighbor rebuild, and has sent its foreign minister, intelligence chief, and an energy ministry delegation to discuss providing it with electricity.

Türkiye shares a 911-km (565-mile) border with Syria and has carried out several cross-border incursions against Kurdish YPG militants it views as terrorists.