Ireland, Spain, and a number of other European Union member states are considering recognizing a Palestinian state on May 21, according to a report by Ireland's national broadcaster.
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 recognizing 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 UN member.
Additionally, the Slovenian government on Thursday initiated the procedure for the recognition of a Palestinian state as a form of leverage to end the conflict in Gaza, a move it announced in March, Prime Minister Robert Golob said.
"The horrors we see every day in Gaza are inadmissible and must stop," Golob was quoted as saying on the government X platform. "I call on Israel to put an immediate end to its attacks on Gaza and to use the negotiating table."