The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced that it is denying and revoking visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.
The announcement was made in a statement released by the U.S. Department of State on Friday.
According to the statement, the Palestinian Authority’s Mission to the UN “will receive waivers per the UN Headquarters Agreement.” However, the restrictions could potentially prevent the attendance of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and are expected to significantly limit the Palestinian presence at the annual global summit. This comes at a time when the war in Gaza rages on and several U.S. allies prepare to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Today the Trump Administration is announcing it will deny and revoke visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly per U.S. law,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced on X (formerly Twitter).
“Before we take them seriously as partners in peace, the PA and PLO must completely reject terrorism and stop counterproductively pursuing the unilateral recognition of a hypothetical state,” Pigott added.
The State Department did not specify the officials targeted under the visa ban. It also remains unclear whether President Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected to travel to New York to deliver an address during the late-September gathering, is included in the restrictions.
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, told reporters that the delegation was still reviewing the announcement. “We are checking exactly what the U.S. move means and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond accordingly,” Mansour said.
Abbas’ office did not immediately issue a comment.
The new restrictions follow the sanctions imposed by Washington in July against officials of the Palestinian Authority and members of the PLO. The U.S. has justified its decision as part of efforts to “hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace.”
However, Palestinian officials reject Washington’s claims, insisting they have not undermined peace efforts.
Under the 1947 UN “Headquarters Agreement,” the United States is generally required to grant access to foreign diplomats attending sessions at the UN headquarters in New York. Still, U.S. law allows Washington to deny visas on grounds of national security, terrorism, or foreign policy concerns.
The State Department clarified that the PA’s permanent mission to the UN will not be affected by the restrictions but did not provide further details.
Palestinians have long pursued an independent state comprising the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem through international mediation. Many accuse Israel of deliberately destroying these prospects through continued settlement expansion in the West Bank and the large-scale destruction of Gaza during the current conflict. Israel strongly rejects the accusation.
Meanwhile, U.S. allies including Canada, Britain, Australia, and France have in recent weeks either signaled or announced their intention to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly. This has increased pressure on Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with starvation spreading amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
