The reason is the massive fire at a nightclub in Switzerland on New Year's Eve, the EBU said in a statement to VG. 41 people died and hundreds were injured in the fire in Crans-Montana.
Waving national flags is a tradition at the Eurovision Song Contest, and in recent years Palestinian flags have appeared, causing controversy. This year, however, only flags made of fire-resistant material approved by Austrian authorities are allowed. All others are banned.
The organizers had been selling approved national flags from participating countries in their online store, not Palestinian ones. That sale has now ended.
