Momentum is building globally as an increasing number of countries formally recognize. Palestine as an independent state ahead of the United Nations General Assembly scheduled for September 2025.
Currently, 147 of the 193 UN member states, nearly 75%, have extended official recognition to the State of Palestine. Recent additions include Ireland, Norway, Spain, Slovenia, Armenia, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas, signalling renewed international support amid ongoing Middle East humanitarian and geopolitical challenges.
Malta announced on July 29 its intention to formally recognize Palestine during the upcoming UN session, with Prime Minister Robert Abela citing alignment with global calls for a two-state solution and justice for Palestinians.
France and the United Kingdom, major G7 powers, have also confirmed plans to recognize Palestine at the UN. France offers unconditional support, while the UK links recognition to benchmarks such as a sustained ceasefire in Gaza and improved humanitarian access.
Several other European nations, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, and Croatia, are in advanced talks and may join the recognition wave, marking one of the largest coordinated Western acknowledgements of Palestinian statehood in recent history.
However, key countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea, have yet to extend recognition, citing the need for a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. Palestine currently holds non-member observer state status at the UN since 2012, but full membership remains blocked by U.S. veto power at the Security Council.
The upcoming recognitions are expected to enhance Palestine’s diplomatic status significantly and increase international pressure on Israel to resume peace negotiations. The September General Assembly could become a landmark moment in the pursuit of Palestinian self-determination.