Hamas documents reveal secret meetings between Norwegian government-linked group and Hamas officials in 2021

According to internal Hamas documents obtained by the watchdog NGO Monitor and reviewed by The Times of Israel, the Norwegian Center for Conflict Resolution (NOREF) held a secret meeting with Bassem Naim, head of Hamas’s Foreign Relations office and a member of its political bureau, in Gaza on May 15, 2021. The Hamas report on the meeting states that the primary agenda was to discuss mediating the relationship between Hamas and the European Union. NOREF was represented by its deputy head, Marte Heian-Engdal, and Middle East Department chief, Frida Nome. NOREF, which is established and funded by the Norwegian government, stated that its dialogue work involves contact with various conflict actors, noting that such contact does not imply endorsement. The organization declined to comment on specific meetings, citing the confidentiality of its work. Further documents indicate that communications continued into 2022, involving a project aimed at facilitating dialogue among various Palestinian factions. The Norwegian government has not responded to requests for comment regarding these meetings.