Norwegian doctors return after 11 days in Gaza

Jan 12, 2009, 14:18 GMT

Oslo - Two Norwegian doctors who spent an 11-day tour of duty at a hospital in Gaza returned home Monday, calling for an immediate halt to the violence and opening of the border posts to Gaza.

Erik Fosse and Mads Gilbert have treated scores of Palestinian patients injured during the Israeli offensive in Gaza that Monday entered day 17, and was estimated to have claimed over 900 lives.

'The situation in Gaza is much worse than we can describe,' Gilbert told reporters, saying Gaza was a 'huge humanitarian catastrophe.' Supplies of food, medicine and other goods are severely stretched.

Gilbert, 61, said their presence in Gaza 'helped give the Palestinians a sense that they were not alone, something they told us again and again.'

The two doctors worked for the Norwegian Aid Committee, a humanitarian organization funded by the Norwegian government.

Fosse, 58, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Jens Gahr Store had been in contact with them during their period at Gaza City's Shifa hospital.

'Our impression is that they are very concerned about the situation,' Fosse said, adding that it was crucial to find 'a long- term solution' to the conflict.

Gilbert said he hoped 'we will see this as a turning point,' and that the crisis can generate 'political solutions.'

On arrival at Oslo's Gardermoen airport the two expressed relief at not hearing the noise of jet fighters, and Gilbert said it was good to meet media that did not have to work under restrictions of the kind experienced by foreign media covering the Gaza conflict.

During their stint in Gaza, Gilbert and Fosse were interviewed by several media outlets that were prevented from accessing Gaza.

Gilbert, a member of the leftist Red party, previously the Workers Communist Party, has been criticized for remarks he made apparently defending the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

Gilbert on Monday was quoted as telling Oslo daily Dagbladet that he regretted those remarks.