The U.S. State Department has revoked and denied visas for dozens of officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including PA President Mahmoud Abbas, just days before the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York on September 9.
The decision, announced Friday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, blocks Abbas from traveling to the U.S. to deliver his planned address to world leaders. The State Department said the move reflects longstanding U.S. law requiring Palestinian leadership to repudiate terrorism and halt actions it views as undermining peace efforts.
“Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism—including the October 7 massacre—and end incitement to terrorism in education,” the department said in a statement. Officials also called on the PA to cease appeals to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC), describing them as “international lawfare campaigns” aimed at bypassing direct negotiations.
The State Department argued that the PA’s international appeals, along with efforts to seek unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, have contributed to Hamas’ refusal to release hostages and to the collapse of cease-fire talks. Both the ICC and ICJ have ongoing cases involving Israel, including genocide allegations filed by South Africa and arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—charges Israel has strongly rejected.
Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour responded cautiously on Friday, telling reporters the delegation would “see exactly what it means and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond accordingly.” Under the U.N. Headquarters Agreement, the organization can grant waivers to allow access for member delegations, regardless of U.S. visa policy.
The move comes as several countries, including the U.K., France, Canada, and Australia, signal willingness to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming assembly unless Israel commits to a cease-fire and renewed negotiations toward a two-state solution.
The visa restrictions follow a July 31 State Department statement warning of consequences for Palestinian officials who “undermine the prospects for peace.” The PA administers parts of the occupied West Bank, while the PLO represents Palestinians in international forums.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Gaza, Israel on Friday declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” and said it would no longer observe daily tactical pauses in military operations that previously allowed humanitarian aid into the area. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced intensified operations around the city, part of a broader war plan approved earlier this month.
The U.N. has warned that Israel’s expanded campaign could cut Gaza’s hospital bed capacity by half. A U.N.-backed food security group confirmed last week that famine is underway in Gaza City, with other regions expected to face similar conditions by late September.
The IDF also confirmed Friday it had recovered the body of hostage Ilan Weiss, killed during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. The conflict, now nearing its first anniversary, has left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and over 63,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.