The decision by Ireland, Norway and Spain to formally recognise Palestine as a state for the sake of “peace in the Middle East” is, without doubt, an important move towards the granting of a homeland and rights to a people who have suffered so much for the last 70 years.

They join seven other European countries, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Cyprus (all EU members), that have already recognised Palestinian statehood.

Fortunately, it looks like there is now a momentum towards global support for the creation of a Palestinian state.

Earlier this month, the UN General Assembly voted by a wide margin (143-9 with 25 abstentions) to grant Palestine new “rights and privileges” and for the Security Council to favourably reconsider a Palestinian request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

Sadly, the notable exception to this trend is the US which, despite supporting a two-state solution, recently vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling on Palestine to be admitted as full UN member.

The time has come, however, for the US to review its position on Palestinian statehood and to exert real pressure on Israel to stop its atrocious military campaign in Gaza.

Malta, which has long championed the Palestinian cause and which has always supported a two-state solution, has said it is still waiting for an “optimal time frame” to recognise the state of Palestine.

One wonders why Malta, which has made a two-state solution the cornerstone of its foreign policy when it comes to the Middle East, is dragging its feet over this issue. The Palestinian people deserve to be offered a glimmer of hope at such a difficult time in their history as they face a horrendous Israeli onslaught in Gaza.

Israel’s war against Hamas has failed to respect the lives of thousands of civilians, including children, which is a contravention of the Geneva Convention. Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, mainly civilians.

And Israel has continued its brutal offensive despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. Gaza lies in ruins, nearly a million people have been displaced and there is a massive shortage of food, clean water and medicine. How is all this acceptable?

A commitment to recognise Palestine is also important in view of Israel’s conduct in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where thousands of illegal Jewish settlements have been built and Palestinians evicted from their homes.

Israel has reacted angrily at the decision by Spain, Norway and Ireland with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming Palestinian recognition amounts to rewarding terrorism. And Foreign Minister Israel Katz said it was “an injustice to the memory of the October 7 victims”.

This is absolute nonsense – recognising a Palestinian state is a matter of justice and cannot be equated with supporting Hamas.

Indeed, last week, the International Court of Justice said Israel must “immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in Rafah which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part”.

Shockingly, Israel’s response was to order an air strike on Rafah which killed 45 civilians. Despite facing universal condemnation for this atrocity, Israel says it will continue with its assault on Rafah.

Israel cannot escape from its crimes in Gaza and justice will eventually catch up with it: Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against both Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in connection with the October 7 attacks and the Gaza war.

Recognising Palestine is one small step towards justice for the Palestinian people and a signal that Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank are unacceptable. It is the right thing to do and Malta should announce its recognition now.