Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre participated in Gaza summit in Egypt
Government of Norway
News story | Date: 14/10/2025
'Today's meeting brings real hope of an end to the suffering in Gaza, even though the path to peace is still long. Today's exchange of hostages and prisoners is an important step towards peace. It has been deeply moving to see the pictures of hostages being reunited with their families and loved ones, while at the same time many Palestinian prisoners are to be released from Israeli prisons,' said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The summit brought together leaders from more than 20 countries as part of the effort to bring peace to the Middle East. The aim is to secure a permanent end to the war between Israel and Hamas and lay the foundation for stability and peace between Israel and Palestine.
'Today's meeting shows that we are now entering a new phase. This will require a lot of work from a lot of people, and Norway will do its part. There is now genuine hope that the suffering in Gaza can be brought to an end, but there is still a long way to go to achieve lasting peace and stability and a return to normal daily life for the people of Gaza,' said Mr Støre.
Prime Minister Støre added that it is vital to safeguard the security of the Palestinian population in the West Bank, who are under severe pressure.
Acknowledging the role of the US
'I would like to pay tribute to the US and President Donald Trump, who laid the foundation for this breakthrough between Israel and Hamas. I would also like to acknowledge the important contributions of Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye. It is vital that all parties now respect and honour the agreement,' said Mr Støre.
'The fact that the countries in the region are united behind the peace agreement and the planned next steps offers hope of lasting peace. It is crucial that the ceasefire is respected, that humanitarian aid can reach the many who need it, and that we quickly begin to restore basic services such as access to electricity and clean water,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.
Important talks in Egypt
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide took part in the summit on Gaza in Sharm El-Sheikh together with US President Donald Trump, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a number of other international leaders the Middle East and Europe in particular. The meeting in Sharm El-Sheik was hosted by President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
'It is important that Norway is represented at this meeting. Norway has maintained a broad engagement in promoting peace in the Middle East, and we have long experience of chairing the international donor group for Palestine (AHLC) and of providing political support to the Palestinian Authority. Norway also has long experience as a humanitarian actor that we can bring to this process,' said Mr Støre.
Mr Støre and Mr Eide have also held bilateral talks with a number of European leaders and leaders from the region during today's meeting in Egypt.
Numerous challenges remain
The exchange of hostages and prisoners is a first step towards peace. Prime Minister Støre pointed out that the parties will face formidable tasks in the time ahead.
'There is still a long way to go before there is lasting peace. Israel's occupation both in Gaza and the West Bank must cease, and steps must be taken to enable the Palestinian Government to govern the whole of Palestine. In the next phase there will be a number of key issues that must be dealt with, not least relating to the governance of Gaza. Norway will do what it can to promote stability, increase cooperation and facilitate reconstruction. In this context it will be crucial to strengthen the Palestinian institutions,' said Mr Støre.
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