Former Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has extended his “deepest condolences and solidarity to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the death of Saeb Erekat who has died as a result of Covid-19”.

Gerry Adams said: “Ba mhaith liom mo chombhrón a thabhairt do chlann Erekat. It is with great sadness that I have learned of the death of Saeb Erekat. In the course of my visits to the Middle East and as part of Sinn Féin’s long relationship with the Palestinian people, I had the pleasure of meeting Saeb Erekat.

“As the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, and as the chief negotiator for the PLO, Saeb was steadfast in his defence of the rights of the people of Palestine to freedom and independence. He was committed to dialogue and peace and to the creation of a genuine peace process in the Middle East that would resolve all of the relationships and ensure a peaceful, democratic future for the people of that region.

“In 2014, during the Israeli assault on Gaza, Saeb made time to brief me about the desolation and destruction being inflicted on the citizens of that besieged area by the Israeli government. He worked hard to secure a humanitarian ceasefire in the face of Israeli rejections.

“Saeb was very conscious of the long positive relationship between the Irish and Palestinian people. He thanked the people of Ireland for their ongoing support for the Palestinian people.

“Saeb will be missed by his comrades, his family and the Palestinian people. As they and we seek to advance the peaceful and democratic objectives to which he dedicated his life, there is an onus on the Irish government, at this important juncture in international relations, to implement past Oireachtas motions and recognise the state of Palestine.

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.”