Malta cannot turn a blind eye when international treaties are blatantly being breached, the foreign affairs minister said on Tuesday.
Though Malta's constitution specified it is militarily neutral, it cannot "hide behind it", Ian Borg told parliament.
He was referring to the Gaza war, which has killed more than 11,000 people after a surprise attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7 killed 1,400 people.
Speaking during the budget debate, Borg said Malta is playing an important role and coordinating resolutions within the ambit of the UN Security Council.
Borg said Malta expects everyone to respect territorial sovereignty and irrespective of who was the aggressor and the victim, it always sided with the good.
While the government took a position against the Hamas aggression against Israel, it warned that the Israeli response should be in line with international law.
It is Palestinian civilians who are now suffering and paying for the Hamas actions, even though the group does not represent the Palestinian cause.
Malta has been consistent in its position and is using its seat at the UN Security Council to try to hammer out a resolution, the minister said.
The government’s position has also been adopted by parliament through its foreign affairs committee.
The solution to the Israel/Palestine issue, Borg said, was a two-state solution in conformity with the UN Security Council, with Jerusalem being the capital of two people who can live side by side.
Nationalist MP Mario de Marco condemned both the Hamas attack and Israel's response and said the Hamas breach of international human rights did not justify a similar breach by Israel in relation to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza strip.
Dr Marco appealed to the US to convince Israel to compromise for peace, adding that the EU also played a major role and should not have a fragmented policy.
The EU, he said, can be an honest broker since it has good relations with both sides. However, its voice in support of Palestinians should be stronger. Arab states are also expected to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Earlier, Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami also condemned both the Hamas attack and the Israeli retaliation.
Malta, he said, can only be a bridge builder and promoter of peace in the region if it condemns what is wrong.