Malta to join EU countries set to recognize Palestinian state in September

CAIRO – 30 July 2025: Malta announced on Tuesday that it will recognize a Palestinian state during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, joining France and the United Kingdom who have expressed the same intentions.

The European Union (EU) countries' Palestine recognition plans come while Israel has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, displaced the entire population, and triggered mass starvation that has claimed dozens of lives, including children.

Also, the EU, which advoates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has consistently rejected Israeli schemes to expel Gazans to other countries and expand settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Malta's Commitment

“As a government, we have taken the decision that during the United Nations General Assembly next September, our country will recognize the Palestinian State,” Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela said in a Facebook post.

“Our country's position testifies to our commitment to finding a solution in favour of lasting peace in the Middle East,” he added.

Last week, France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced his plans to recognize a Palestinian state during the UNGA, a move that has been hailed as “bold” by Arab and Muslim countries but fiercely rebuked by Israel and the US.

Macron affirmed the necessity to “build the State of Palestine, guarantee its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the region.”

“There is no alternative,” he stressed.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer followed suit, announcing on Tuesday that the UK will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes measures toward sustainable peace, the AP reported.

The UK will take such step “unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution,” Starmer said.

“This includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank,” he said.

Global Palestine Recognition

Several European countries, including Armenia, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway, have recognized the Palestinian state amid the Gaza war, ongoing since October 2023.

These European nations have emphasized the importance of this recognition to support a two-state solution, enabling Palestinians and Israelis to live peacefully in separate states and ensuring lasting stability across the Middle East.

When recognizing Palestine next September, France, the UK and Malta will join 147 countries that have taken this step over the past decades, including 11 European Union (EU) countries: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Poland.