British, Irish premiers discuss bilateral ties, Northern Ireland

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed bilateral ties, Northern Ireland and the situation in Gaza in a phone call Wednesday with his Irish counterpart Simon Harris.

The call came on the 26th anniversary since the signing of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement between the governments of Britain and Ireland on April 10, 1998.

The agreement largely ended the violence of the period known as “The Troubles” that had prevailed since the 1960s in which more than 3,500 people lost their lives.

During the phone call, the two premiers touched on the strong bilateral relationship between the UK and Ireland and the shared importance of stability in Northern Ireland.

"They agreed that the restoration of the devolved institutions underpinned and deepened the British-Irish bilateral relationship," said a statement by the UK Prime Minister's Office.

During the conversation, they also discussed the strengthening of economic ties and growth in bilateral trade between the two countries as the closest of neighbors.

On Gaza, Sunak and Harris agreed on the "unconditional release of remaining hostages" while expressing their "grave concern" over the worsening humanitarian situation and the need for Israel to accelerate the scale of aid delivered to Gaza.

Sunak “reiterated his position that a two-state solution provided the best basis for a political settlement," added the statement.

Israel has waged a military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed around 1,200 people.

Around 33,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began.​​​​​​​

It has also imposed a crippling blockade on the seaside enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while much of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has urged it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.

Sunak also congratulated Harris on his appointment.

Harris, 37, on Tuesday became Ireland's youngest-ever prime minister, succeeding Leo Varadkar, who unexpectedly resigned last month.