Oslo, SANA- Norway’s sovereign wealth fund has sold its shares in 11 Israeli companies, amid the ongoing catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and Israel’s intransigence and refusal to stop the war and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Reuters quoted Nicolai Tangen, chief executive of Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the fund, as saying: “These measures were taken in response to extraordinary circumstances. The situation in Gaza represents a serious humanitarian crisis. We are investing in companies operating in a country at war, with dire conditions in the West Bank and Gaza.”

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, has investments totaling approximately $1.9 trillion, representing approximately 1.5 % of all listed stocks worldwide, distributed across nearly 9,000 companies in more than 70 countries. This gives the fund’s decisions a direct impact on international financial markets, particularly in the energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors.

Last week, Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg ordered a review of all investments linked to Israeli companies after reports indicated that one of them services fighter jets used in attacks on Gaza.

Nisreen Othman / Manar Salameh