(MENAFN) Belgium, Luxembourg, and Malta have officially acknowledged Palestine during a summit held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, broadening the number of European Union countries endorsing Palestinian statehood.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever explained that Brussels is joining the effort to send a “strong political and diplomatic signal to the world.”

He clarified, however, that formal legal recognition would only come into effect once “all hostages have been released and all terrorist organizations such as Hamas have been removed from the governance of Palestine.”

Until those conditions are met, Belgium will postpone actions such as establishing an embassy or signing formal agreements.

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden characterized his nation’s decision as “the beginning of a renewed commitment to hope, a commitment to diplomacy, to dialogue, to coexistence, and a two-state solution.”

Frieden underscored that the recognition is not directed “against Israel or its people” nor intended as “a reward for violence.”

He reiterated that Luxembourg continues to regard the two-state solution as “the only viable way forward for lasting peace.”

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela told attendees that the nation is “proud to confirm our official recognition of Palestinian statehood.”

He affirmed his government’s support for Israel’s right to exist alongside a democratic Palestinian state while emphasizing that Hamas should not have any role in Palestine’s future leadership.

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