Ireland to open embassy in Palestine following recognition: Irish prime minister

Following its official recognition of Palestine the Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said in a statement:

"The Government recognises Palestine as a sovereign and independent state and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah".

"An Ambassador of Ireland to the State of Palestine will be appointed along with a full Embassy of Ireland in Ramallah," said Harris. 

"This decision of Ireland is about keeping hope alive. It is about believing that a two-state solution is the only way for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security," he said in the statement.

"I again call on Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza," he added.