Change of command in TIPH – TIPH press release

Change of command in TIPH

The new TIPH Head of Mission Roy Grottheim during an inspection in Tel Rumeida in Hebron. Behind him the new Deputy Head of Mission Domenico Ianniello. Photo: Mats Lignell.

Brigadier General Roy Grøttheim is replacing Karl-Henrik Sjursen as Head of Mission for the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) on the 7th of February. Mr. Sjursen leaves the mission as scheduled after serving one year as Head of Mission. Roy Grøttheim will lead a group of 58 civilian observers from six countries (Norway, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Turkey) observing and reporting in Hebron.

General Grøttheim served as deputy Head of Mission for United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in Jerusalem for two years previous to being appointed as the new Head of Mission for TIPH. Previously he also served as battalion commander in UNIFIL in Lebanon and as National Contingent Commander in KFOR in Kosovo.

– I look forward to starting my work in Hebron, Roy Grøttheim says, and I believe that the situation in the city is important to the entire region and solutions here can lead the way to a wider solution to the conflict.

TIPH is a civilian observer mission in the West Bank city of Hebron. TIPH was called for during the Oslo peace talks by the Palestinian authority and the Israeli government to assist them in their efforts to restore normalcy to the city of Hebron.

TIPH observes and reports on breaches of the agreements on Hebron and human rights law to the Israeli and Palestinian parties.