(L-R) Hanke Bruins Slot, Netherlands' Foreign Minister; Espen Barth Eide, Norway's Foreign Minister; Hadja Lahbib, Belgium's Foreign Minister; Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister; Credit: Kilian Munch

On Friday 15 December 2023, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, travelled to Oslo, Norway to participate in a ministerial meeting on the situation in Gaza.

He was joined by his BeNeLux counterparts, the Nordic countries and several member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League (namely Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and Palestine).

The informal meeting aimed to provide an in-depth discussion on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

"In these times of geopolitical challenges, the BeNeLux stands together as neighbours, close allies and trusted partners. The discussions we had with our OIC partners on current events, particularly the conflict in Israel and Gaza, were fruitful and important. We are committed to working with all partners to ensure lasting peace in the Middle East and jointly emphasise the importance of a two-state solution. We thank our Norwegian colleague, [Foreign Minister] Espen Barth Eide, for organising this important discussion," said Minister Bettel and his BeNeLux counterparts, Hadja Lahbib and Hanke Bruins Slot.

Minister Bettel also exchanged views with his counterparts in the region, including Palestine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Riad al Malki, and Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed ben Abderrahmane Al-Thani.

The discussions addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the means available to the international community to put an end to the suffering of the civilian population. Minister Bettel stressed the importance of a humanitarian ceasefire, as well as the urgency of relaunching the process aimed at establishing a just and lasting peace. He also highlighted the need for Hamas to release all hostages, as well as the importance of everyone condemning in the strongest possible terms the terrorist acts committed by Hamas.