Malta to Officially Recognize State of Palestine at Upcoming International ConferenceMalta to Officially Recognize State of Palestine at Upcoming International Conference

Prime Minister Robert Abela

Watan-Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that Malta will officially recognize the State of Palestine, in a significant diplomatic step expected to take place during an upcoming international conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia next month.

Abela made the statement on Sunday during a political event in the city of Mosta, according to the Times of Malta, an English-language daily.

The dress of Sheikha Moza, mother of the Emir of QatarThe dress of Sheikha Moza, mother of the Emir of Qatar

He stated that the conference will be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York and will focus on supporting global efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East through the two-state solution.

France's intent to recognize PalestineFrance's intent to recognize PalestineGaza resistance

According to the Times of Israel, Malta already hosts a Palestinian ambassador and voted in April at the UN Security Council in favor of granting Palestine full membership, although it has not yet taken the formal step of diplomatic recognition—until now.

This move comes amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023. Backed by the United States, Israel has been accused of committing genocidal acts, resulting in over 176,000 Palestinian casualties, most of them women and children, with more than 11,000 missing and hundreds of thousands forcibly displaced.