Wednesday May 15, 2024
Islamabad (Urdu Point. DW Urdu. May 15, 2024) Ireland's Foreign Minister Michael Martin issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Ireland will recognize the Palestinian state by the end of May, but he did not set a final date in this regard. Not announced.
Michael Martin is also the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland. "We will recognize Palestine as a state before the end of this month," he told a news talk radio station.
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In March, the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta said in a joint statement that they were ready to recognize a Palestinian state.
Ireland has long said that it has no objection in principle to officially recognizing a Palestinian state if it can help the Middle East peace process.
But Israel's war against Hamas militants in Gaza has given the issue a new impetus.
Last week, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Spain, Ireland and Slovenia planned to formally recognize a Palestinian state on May 21, and several other countries were likely to follow suit.
Israel should end the Rafah operation, the European Union
The European Union has urged Israel to immediately end its operation in Rafah because it is disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
EU foreign affairs chief Borrell says the military operation is causing internal displacement, famine and suffering.
"The European Union is urging Israel to stop worsening the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and to reopen the Rafah crossing point," Borrell said in a statement on X. If Israel continues its military operations in Rafah, it will inevitably put serious strain on EU relations with Israel.
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Borrell cited International Court of Justice orders that Israel must allow and facilitate the unhindered passage of humanitarian aid.
On October 7, Israel launched major air and ground military operations in Gaza after a terrorist attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas killed nearly 1200 Israeli citizens in southern Israel.
As a result of these actions of the Israeli army, Israel is facing international criticism due to the large number of civilian deaths and the large-scale destruction of civilian structures in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, 35,233 people have been killed and more than 79,000 injured in Gaza since the war began.
It has been said that 15,000 children are also included in the dead.
Houthi rebels claim to have attacked the American ship
Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Wednesday that they had targeted a US warship and a cruise ship called the "Destiny" in the Red Sea. Iran-backed Houthi rebels say that these attacks are being carried out to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
In a televised speech, the Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Saria, said that they had also targeted an American ship called "Mason" in the Red Sea with several "appropriate naval missiles". Saria added that the Houthis targeted the ship Destiny as it was on its way to the Israeli port of Eilat on April 20.
Saria did not say when the two ships were targeted. News agency Reuters could not independently verify the Houthis' claim.
Nakba Day in the shadow of war
On the other hand, today the Palestinians are celebrating the 76th Nakba Day around the world. According to the United Nations, Israel expelled more than 760,000 Palestinians from their homes in 1948.
For this eviction, the term Nakba, meaning destruction, is used. Every year on May 15, Palestinians celebrate Nakba Day. At present, the number of the Palestinian refugee community is about 600,000.
Celebrations on the anniversary of the Nakba were also held today in Ramallah, the main city of the occupied West Bank. Thousands of people carried Palestinian flags and marched to the villages from which their ancestors had been evicted.
According to United Nations data, most Palestinian refugees live in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, while other Palestinians live in countries around the world.
