Norway refuses to join Board of Peace on Gaza

Norway will not join the “Board of Peace” being created at the initiative of U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve the situation in the Gaza Strip, State Secretary at the Office of Norway's Prime Minister, Kristoffer Thoner told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“Norway will not join the proposed measures to establish a ‘Board of Peace’ and will not participate in the signing ceremony in [Switzerland's] Davos,” Thoner emphasised.

According to him, Oslo will continue cooperation with other partners but believes that proposals for resolving the conflict should be developed “within existing frameworks, such as the United Nations.”

At the same time, Norway supports President Trump’s goals of achieving lasting peace in Ukraine, Gaza, and other regions.

Earlier, relations between Oslo and Washington became strained after Trump sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre expressing dissatisfaction with Norway’s refusal to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. Støre noted that Norway cannot influence the decisions of the Nobel Committee.

Invitations to join the Board of Peace were sent to many world leaders. According to Bloomberg, Trump plans to approve the council’s mandate and charter on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, and intends to serve as chairman of the new international body, which is expected to assume governance of the Gaza Strip under agreements between Israel and Hamas.

The Board of Peace is a U.S.-led initiative to end the Gaza conflict, facilitate ceasefire implementation, reconstruction, and potentially provide ongoing oversight or governance in Gaza. Trump is positioned to chair the body, with invitations extended to dozens of countries. Membership involves significant voluntary contributions. 

By Khagan Isayev