Malta recognises Palestine, calls for ceasefire and peace

Malta has officially recognised the State of Palestine, with Prime Minister Robert Abela announcing the decision during his address at the United Nations Conference on the Two-State Solution in New York.

The Prime Minister described the move as a step towards peace, while acknowledging the challenges ahead. “On behalf of the Maltese people, I have today confirmed our nation’s recognition of Palestinian statehood,” Dr Abela said. “Today’s step, however, is only one of many needed to achieve the dream of all those of goodwill. Starvation in Gaza must end. Fighting must stop now. All October 7th hostages must be released. Hamas has no future in the new Palestinian state.”

He added, “Malta is not naïve. We know that the road is hard and testing, but a peaceful two-state solution remains the only solution for the region, and we are ready to offer our assistance to give life to this solution. Just because something is hard does not make it impossible.”

The announcement aligns Malta with a growing number of nations formally recognising Palestinian statehood as part of efforts to push forward a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict. Countries such as Andorra, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Monaco and San Marino confirmed their recognition at the same conference, while Australia, Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom extended recognition earlier this week.

The recognition of Palestinian statehood formed part of Malta’s broader participation at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, where more than 190 world leaders are discussing global peace, human rights, and sustainable development. This year’s theme, set by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, is “Better United Together: 80 Years and Beyond for Peace, Human Rights, and Development.”