The United States has denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a source familiar with the matter.
In a separate statement that did not mention Abbas by name, the U.S. State Department said it would deny visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and officials of the Palestinian Authority.
The department attributed the decision to what it described as the groups’ failure to implement reforms and ongoing activities that undermine prospects for peace.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed that Abbas was covered by the measure.
The Trump administration took the same step last year, forcing Abbas, a regular participant at the U.N. General Assembly, to address the gathering by video.
The State Department said the PLO and Palestinian Authority had “once again, failed to live up to their commitments.”
It accused the organisations of pursuing actions at international bodies that contradict prior commitments, including efforts to take the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Washington also criticised Palestinian efforts to seek recognition of statehood outside direct negotiations, as well as alleged payments to individuals convicted of attacks and the glorification of terrorism in public statements and school textbooks.
The decision puts the United States at odds with several countries, including France, that recognised a Palestinian state at the United Nations last year.
A total of 142 U.N. member states endorsed a declaration following a conference on a two-state solution co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.
The visa decision comes amid escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence in the territory has increased since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.
According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Health Ministry data, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,109 Palestinians in the West Bank since the attack. The figure includes both fighters and civilians.
The ensuing Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,700 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas authority. The United Nations considers the ministry’s figures reliable.
The international community has expressed concern over the violence, while the United States has largely focused its public position on opposing any annexation of Palestinian territory.
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