Ireland to Recognize Palestinian Statehood ‘This Month’, Says Minister 

15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)
15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)
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Ireland to Recognize Palestinian Statehood ‘This Month’, Says Minister 

15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)
15 May 2024, Australia, Canberra: Protesters hold flags at a pro-Palestine rally outside Parliament House in Canberra. (dpa)

Ireland is certain to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday, without specifying a date.

"We will be recognizing the state of Palestine before the end of the month," Micheal Martin, who is also Ireland's deputy prime minister, told the Newstalk radio station.

In March the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta said in a joint statement that they stand ready to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Ireland has long said it has no objection in principle to officially recognizing the Palestinian state if it could help the peace process in the Middle East.

But Israel's war against Hamas militants in Gaza has given the issue new impetus.

Last week, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Spain, Ireland and Slovenia planned to symbolically recognize a Palestinian state on May 21, with others potentially following suit.

But Ireland's Martin on Wednesday shied away from pinpointing a date.

"The specific date is still fluid because we're still in discussions with some countries in respect of a joint recognition of a Palestinian state," said Martin.

"It will become clear in the next few days as to the specific date but it certainly will be before the end of this month.

"I will look forward to consultations today with some foreign ministers in respect of the final specific detail of this."

Last month during a visit to Dublin by Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said the countries would coordinate the move together.

"When we move forward, we would like to do so with as many others as possible to lend weight to the decision and to send the strongest message," said Harris.

The Gaza war followed Hamas's October 7 attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.