Malta Announces Plan to Recognize State of Palestine Next Month

London: According to international media reports, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Sunday that Malta will officially recognize the State of Palestine next month.
The announcement was made during a political event where Prime Minister Abela addressed both local and international issues, placing particular emphasis on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He stated that the world cannot turn a blind eye to the humanitarian tragedy, adding that recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state is a moral obligation. Abela further declared that Malta would formalize its recognition following the United Nations conference on the Israel-Palestine conflict, scheduled for June 20.
Malta had previously voted in favor of granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations during a Security Council vote in April last year but had not yet officially recognized Palestinian statehood.
So far, 147 out of 193 UN member states have recognized Palestine as an independent state. In the past year, countries such as Armenia, Slovenia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados have joined that list.
Despite the growing international support, several major Western nations—including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany—have yet to recognize the State of Palestine. French President Emmanuel Macron recently hinted that France may take this step in the coming months.