ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Thursday praised plans of Canada and Malta to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly meetings in September, urging other countries to follow suit.

A Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said Riyadh welcomed the declarations by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, describing them as “positive steps that strengthen the path toward a two-state solution and reflect the international community’s consensus on ending the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

The statement reiterated Riyadh’s call for other nations “to take serious steps in support of peace.”

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a similar message, calling the moves “important milestones consistent with international legitimacy and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.”

Doha said the decisions represented “significant backing for the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

It added that the announcements were in line with the outcomes of this week’s UN conference on the two-state solution. The gathering – boycotted by the US and Israel – called for Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and transfer control of the territory to the Palestinian Authority.

The conference’s closing statement also urged the recognition of Palestine as a full UN member state, replacing its current status as a non-member observer since 2012.

Qatar renewed its appeal to states that have yet to recognize Palestine “to take similar steps that demonstrate commitment to international law and uphold the Palestinian people’s historic and legitimate rights to their land.”

Of the UN’s 193 member states, 148 currently recognize Palestine, first declared by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.

In recent months, several countries, including France and the UK, have announced plans to extend recognition, while Australia has indicated it may follow.

On Wednesday, 15 Western nations, including France and Spain, issued a joint call for the recognition of Palestine and for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,200 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

On Monday, Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s healthcare system.