People attend a rally to ask for 'the end of the genocide against Palestine people', and the suspension of weapon trade with Israel, in Barcelona, Spain, 25 February 2024. Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed since the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on 07 October 2023, and the Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave which followed it. EPA-EFE/Marta Perez RTE News on Wednesday evening said contacts between Dublin and Madrid, and between Slovenia and Malta, had intensified with a view to the countries jointly recognising Palestinian statehood.
According to the report, the countries have been waiting for a vote by the United Nations General Assembly on May 10 which could lead to the recognition of Palestinians as qualified to become a full U.N. member.
In a joint statement on March 22, Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia said they had agreed to take the first steps towards recognising a Palestinian state.
Spain and Ireland have long been champions of Palestinian rights. The efforts come as a mounting death toll in Gaza from Israel's offensive to rout out Hamas prompts calls globally for a ceasefire and lasting solution for peace in the region.
Since 1988, 139 out of 193 U.N. member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.
Israel has said that the four countries' plan constituted a "prize for terrorism" that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the Gaza conflict.
(Reporting by Graham Fahy; Editing by Sharon Singleton)