The Trump administration has denied visas to a senior Palestinian delegation to attend the United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting, for a second year running, the US State Department said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the department said Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, had not met commitments made under earlier arrangements aimed at advancing peace with Israel.
Grounds Cited by the State Department
The State Department said the Palestinian Authority continued to pursue legal proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. It also pointed to the Authority’s payments of stipends to families of prisoners convicted of attacks against Israelis.
The department added that the move also covered officials linked to the Palestine Liberation Organisation, or PLO.
Sanctions to Deny Visas
The State Department said the visa denials were linked to a decision to extend sanctions under existing US law.
“As a consequence of their failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace, the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials” in accordance with standing US law, the department said.
The announcement follows the administration’s broader efforts to restrict entry visas for a range of figures, and it underscores the close alignment between the United States and Israel, the department said.
Link to Conflict and U.N. Pressure
The visa decision comes as the United States and Israel continue to face heightened scrutiny internationally over the war in Gaza following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas.
A ceasefire brokered by the US took hold in October, but Israel has continued strikes in Palestinian territory.
The decision also arrives amid a US campaign to reduce the role of the International Criminal Court. The administration has accused the ICC of seeking to prosecute US and Israeli personnel over alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza. Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC.
Palestinian Delegation Still Attends
Despite the latest visa refusals, Palestinian representatives are still due to be present at next week’s General Assembly meeting through diplomats already accredited to the United Nations. Abbas did not travel in person last year and appeared by video instead.
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18 September 2026
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