The government of the United States has announced a decision to deny or revoke Palestinian officials’ visas ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2025.
The decision is expected to affect members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The move to deny or revoke Palestinian officials’ visas was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio declared that the move is intended to hold Palestinian officials accountable for actions deemed to undermine peace efforts, particularly as several allies plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming global summit.
He revealed that the decision came after Palestinian officials allegedly refused to condemn terrorism, including the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, and their pursuit of unilateral statehood recognition through international bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The statement reads in part: “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.”
“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.”
In a swift reaction, the head of the Palestinian Authority Mission to the UN, Ambassador Riyad Mansour said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas planned to attend the UN gathering next month.
He said it was unclear if the U.S. move would affect Abbas’s planned visit.
“We will see exactly what it means and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond accordingly,” he said.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this comes amid escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine
Recall that the Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 63,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
