Prime Minister Robert Abela said Malta will recognize Palestine following an upcoming international conference scheduled for June 20.
The announcement was made during a political event where Abela addressed both domestic and international issues, with particular emphasis on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"We cannot close our eyes to this human tragedy that is getting worse every day," Abela said, as quoted by Malta Today.
He was referring to Israel's brutal bombardment of Gaza, which has killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children.
Abela described the decision as a moral obligation in light of the escalating civilian toll.
He also expressed shock at the recent deaths of nine children belonging to Palestinian pediatrician Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar.
The children were killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The bombing critically injured Dr. Al-Najjar’s husband and left only one surviving child.
Abela said Malta is prepared to welcome Dr. Al-Najjar and her family to the country in the wake of the tragedy.