The blockaded Gaza Strip will soon see a number of hardships eased, including the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and improved access to basic services, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh al-Maliki said Thursday.
"The Palestinian government will pay the salaries of its employees in the Gaza Strip and provide basic services, such as water and electricity," al-Maliki said during a meeting with Irish counterpart Simon Coveney at Palestinian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Ramallah.
Coveney, for his part, stressed his country's desire to see a successful outcome to the Middle East peace process.
The Irish FM arrived in Ramallah on Thursday morning and is scheduled to meet with several Palestinian officials before leaving this evening.
Last year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tried to persuade Hamas to hand over the administration of Gaza (which it has governed since 2007) to the Palestinian government.
Abbas ordered a salary reduction for Gaza-based civil servants and cut electricity supplies to the blockaded strip.
