Ireland Is Eager to Recognize The Palestinian State: PM Harris

On Monday, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris had a phone conversation with Spanish President Pedro Sanchez in which he confirmed his intention to recognize Palestine as a state.

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"I spoke with Sanchez this morning on the wish of both Ireland and Spain to recognize the State of Palestine. Formal recognition of Palestine is important as part of an acknowledgment that a two-state solution is the way to bring about peace and stability in the region," he said.

"Sanchez and I are eager to make progress on this very soon and we agreed to stay in close contact. We are coordinating efforts with other European states to recognize a Palestinian state alongside like-minded countries. This will be done in a way that can have the most positive impact," he added.

Harris also discussed with Sanchez "the terrible situation in the Middle East and particularly in Gaza," so they agreed to work together to push for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages, and an increase in humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

The Irish PM expressed his "deep concern about reports that Israel has ordered an evacuation of civilians from areas of Rafah in preparation for a military operation."

"I reiterate my call to Israel not to undertake a large-scale military operation in Rafah. The international community has made it very clear that an Israeli military operation in Rafah will inevitably lead to disastrous humanitarian consequences and the death of a large number of innocent civilians. Protecting civilians is an obligation under international humanitarian law," he said.

On March 22, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Malta signed a declaration in Brussels committing to the recognition of Palestine as a state, but without setting a specific date.

Shortly after, Sanchez said Spain would do so in the first half of this year and made several trips to European and Middle Eastern countries to address this issue.