HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide praised the State of Qatar's role in reaching a ceasefire between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

In a press statement, HE Minister welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, noting that it is necessary to end the suffering.

Her Excellency praised the efforts of the State of Qatar, Egypt, the UN and the US to reach a ceasefire agreement, stressing that the suffering inflicted on civilians during 11 days of hostilities is unacceptable.

HE Minister said that now the difficult work has begun to follow up on the ceasefire, to ensure its continuation and facilitate the resumption of political negotiations, calling on all parties to return to the negotiating table to address the factors that led to this and negotiate a solution to all outstanding issues.

Her Excellency stressed the importance of respecting basic rights, pointing out that a negotiated two-state solution can achieve lasting peace.

She expressed condemnation of all attacks on civilians, adding that the attack that targeted the offices of a number of media companies in Gaza is extremely worrying, adding that a free and independent press plays a crucial role in ensuring the presentation of fact-based reports from conflict areas, so protection must be achieved for it during conflicts.