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Norway has been reeling from a huge fire that broke out in a townhouse in the southern city of Drammen last week and spread through the surrounding area and into nearby forests.
More than 100 homes were destroyed, and hundreds of people were forced to evacuate following the start of the blaze on 17 June.
The Associated Press reported that Norway’s Directorate for Civil Protection described it as the “largest fire of its kind in modern times”.
Since then, posts circulating online have attempted to link the blaze to a decision allegedly taken by the Norwegian government.
They claim the fire started just two days after Norway voted to ban trade and investment linked to illegal Israeli settlements.
But this is misleading. As things stand, Norway has not voted to ban imports from Israeli settlements, and there is no public evidence indicating that the fire was the result of a criminal act.
No ban on imports from Israeli settlements
The Norwegian government last addressed the issue of Israeli settlement trade on 19 June, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a public consultation on a proposal for a new bill banning trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The government said the proposal was intended to address what it described as a settlement policy that “undermines the prospects for a two-state solution in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and freedom.”
“The Israeli settlements in Palestine are in breach of international law,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said. “They contribute to displacement, extreme violence and a situation that makes a peaceful solution impossible.”
“We intend to prohibit trade with the unlawful settlements,” Eide added. “By proposing legally binding prohibitions, the government makes it clear that Norwegian citizens and Norwegian companies must not profit from or support activities that help sustain Israel’s unlawful settlement activity in Palestine.”
Under the proposal, Norway would ban the import of goods from Israeli settlements, as well as exports to those settlements.
It would also prohibit the purchase of real estate in the settlements, the provision of services related to the construction, renovation, purchase or sale of property there, and the acquisition of businesses headquartered or producing goods in the settlements.
However, the proposal is not yet law and has not yet been adopted by the Norwegian parliament.
It has been put out for public consultation, allowing affected companies, organisations, experts and other interested parties to submit comments. The consultation is open until 19 September 2026.
The only measures Norway has taken so far in relation to Israeli settlements are sanctions and other measures targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, announced on 9 June alongside Canada, France and the UK.
No evidence of criminal activity
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with police saying they had identified a possible point of origin without disclosing further details.
“The investigation is exploring several possible causes of the fire,” police said.
They added that they had no concrete suspicion of criminal activity at this stage.
However, police also explained that, as part of a fire investigation, anyone who was present at the scene or had a connection to the affected area may be considered a suspect as investigators establish what happened.
“One person is currently considered a suspect and has been questioned,” police said.
Reports state that, following questioning, the authorities now believe that negligence is the most likely cause of the fire.
On 23 July, the municipality of Drammen announced that firefighters were ending their operation in the affected area of Krokstadelva. No one has been reported missing.