PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM Deputy Prime Minister Borg meets with Palestinian Ambassador Hanania

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg met with the Palestinian Ambassador Fadi Hanania, at the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Malta, in Swieqi, this week. 

The meeting focused on Malta’s official recognition of the State of Palestine in September, and the latest developments in the Middle East, including the Gaza Peace Plan agreement brokered with the support of Egypt, Qatar and the United States, at the Sharm el-Sheikh Conference, earlier this month.

Dr Borg noted that the Maltese Government’s decision to join other nations in officially recognising the Palestinian State during the United Nations General Assembly in September reaffirms Malta’s enduring commitment to a just and lasting peace in Isreal and Palestine, rooted in the Two-State Solution with Jerusalem as the Capital of both states, living side-by-side. 

Malta continues to support the people of Palestine with financial aid to humanitarian organisations in the region, educational opportunities for Palestinian youth, and the medical evacuation and treatment of children injured in Gaza, among other forms of assistance.      

The Maltese Deputy Prime Minister also called for all parties, including the international community, to work together on the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, ensuring that the ceasefire is upheld. 

Ambassador Hanania thanked Dr Borg for his visit to the Embassy, and for Malta’s international engagement in support of Palestine. He stressed the need for greater efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, and to embark on its reconstruction. 

The Ambassador also encouraged Malta and the international community to stand by the Palestinian communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling for an end to the construction of illegal settlements, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the removal of barriers to free movement.