US again denies visas for Palestinians before UN assembly

The US State Department has said it will extend visa sanctions on Palestinian Authority (PA) officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly.

The United States denied visas to several Palestinians ahead of last year's UN General Assembly and did not allow Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to New York for the gathering of world leaders.

In its statement, the US State Department accused the PA and the PLO of taking actions "to internationalise the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including through the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice" and to seek the "unilateral recognition" of a Palestinian state.

The department said that the PLO and PA had "once again, failed to live up to their commitments".

"This includes initiating and supporting actions at international organisations that undermine and contradict prior commitments," it said.

It also accused the groups of backing "terrorists".

Palestinian officials say that decades of US-mediated talks ‌have failed to end Israeli occupation and secure an independent Palestinian state.

The US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats ⁠to the UN in New York, under the 1947 UN "headquarters agreement".

However, the US has said it can deny visas for security, extremism ‌and foreign policy reasons.

The State Department said it "has maintained the standing waiver for personnel ⁠notified to the ‌PLO Observer Mission to the United Nations."

President Donald Trump's policies have regularly targeted Palestinians, pro-Palestinian voices and critics of Israel, a US ally.

Internationally, the Trump administration has sanctioned International Criminal Court officials, including prosecutors and judges.

The court's decision to issue an arrest warrant ⁠in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel's assault ⁠on Gaza drew criticism from Washington.

Domestically, the Trump administration has attempted to deport pro-Palestinian foreign protesters, threatened a funding freeze for universities over protests and enforced social media screening for immigrants.

The PA, which represents the Palestinian people at the United Nations, where the delegation is officially known as the State of Palestine, is not a full member and has no vote in the General Assembly.

They are an observer state ‌holding the same status as the Holy See (Vatican).