Canada and Malta say they will recognise Palestine, joining France and UK

Canada and Malta both announced on Wednesday that they plan to formally recognise the state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, joining France and the United Kingdom, who announced earlier they would do so.

The move to recognise Palestine as a state comes amid a renewed push in Europe to put pressure on Israel to stop its devastating war in Gaza, which has led to widespread starvation in the strip, as well as to halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

"The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable," Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney speaking after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, emphasising the need for international cooperation to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.

"Canada has long been committed to a two-state solution. An independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with the state of Israel in peace and security," he added.

In return, Canada wants to see "much-needed reforms" to the governance of the Palestinian Authority, including general elections to be held in 2026 with the exclusion of the militant group, Hamas.

"Canada will increase its efforts in supporting strong democratic governance in Palestine," Carney concluded.

Malta has long supported Palestinian sovereignty and the self-determination for its citizens. Christopher Cutajar, the permanent secretary at Malta’s Foreign Ministry, made the announcement earlier at a United Nations conference on a two-state solution.

"As responsible actors, we have a duty to work to translate the concept of a two-state solution from theory into practice," Cutajar said.

It comes a day after Prime Minister Keir Starmer also announced the United Kingdom would formally recognise the state of Palestine before the annual gathering of world leaders at the 193-member General Assembly in September.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his country's decision to formalise the move in September a week earlier, which would make France the first G7 country and the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to recognise Palestine.

147 member states of the United Nations, including ten European Union member states already recognise the state of Palestine.

The act of recognition involves acknowledging the sovereignty and independence of Palestine within its pre-1967 Middle East war borders. This includes the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.

Israel opposed a two-state solution and boycott the UN conference held in New York City, alongside its closest ally, the United States.