Malta will officially recognise the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly this September, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced Tuesday evening, according to a report published by Reuters.
“Our position reflects our commitment to efforts for a lasting peace in the Middle East,” Abela wrote in a Facebook post, just hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a similar announcement.
Tuesday’s development marks a shift in a wave of growing European support for Palestinian statehood, following similar announcements by Ireland, Norway, and Spain in May last year, and France just days ago.
Domestic Pressure Mounts
Malta’s government, the report said, has faced increasing calls – both from within its own Labour Party and from the centre-right Opposition – to recognise Palestine at the earliest. Reports suggest the island nation has a longstanding history of backing Palestinian causes and has consistently supported a two-state solution.
Abela had initially planned the recognition of Palestinian state in June during a United Nations conference, but the event was postponed.
UK Ties Recognition to Israeli Action
Earlier Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Britain would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets several key conditions.
These reportedly include agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza, allowing United Nations humanitarian aid into the area, and committing to long-term peace.
“Unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza… Britain will recognise a state of Palestine before the United Nations General Assembly,“ Starmer said, according to The Associated Press.
He also called on Hamas to release all hostages and disarm.
Israel Pushes Back on Announcements
Israel‘s foreign ministry rejected the UK’s position, calling it a “reward for Hamas” and a move that undermines ceasefire efforts.
French and British decisions, coupled with internal political pressure, “constitute a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza,” the Israeli ministry said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, France, which only recently became the first G7 country to announce recognition, welcomed Britain‘s decision, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot writing in a post on X, “The United Kingdom is joining the momentum.”
According to The Associated Press, more than 140 countries already recognise a Palestinian state. The UK, once the governing power of historic Palestine and author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, faces what Foreign Secretary David Lammy called a “special burden of responsibility.“
“The Balfour Declaration came with the solemn promise… this has not been upheld,“ Lammy said at a UN meeting, per AP.
If Malta follows through, it will be part of a significant diplomatic push amid international outcry over the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza against the backdrop of the long-drawn conflict.
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