Malta told a high-level U.N. meeting that it will formally recognize the state of Palestine in September, joining France and the United Kingdom in stepping up pressure to end the nearly 80-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

France and 14 other Western nations called on countries worldwide to move to recognise a Palestinian state, France’s top diplomat said yesterday.

The actions reflect souring public approval for Israel's war in Gaza, as well as Israel's increasingly aggressive actions in the West Bank.