US Keeps Palestinian Officials Out Ahead of UN General Assembly
- World news
- September, 17, 2026 - 12:50
The State Department said Wednesday it reported to Congress that the PLO and PA had "again failed to meet commitments under US laws", citing actions at international organizations including "taking actions to internationalize the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict including through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ)."
It also cited Palestinian officials’ efforts to "bypass negotiations through seeking unilateral recognition" of a Palestinian state, Anadolu reported.
“As a consequence of their failure to reform ... the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials,” the department said in a statement.
The measures come ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which begins next week in New York.
The announcement follows a similar US move last year, when Washington denied or revoked visas for PLO and PA officials ahead of the 2025 General Assembly. The PA Mission to the UN received waivers under the UN Headquarters Agreement.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend last year's General Assembly in person and addressed the gathering virtually.
The Palestinian side did not immediately issue a public response to Wednesday’s US visa announcement.