NEW YORK – The United States has denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, two Palestinian sources have told the BBC.
It comes after the US said it was extending visa sanctions against Palestinian officials, without naming Abbas, accusing them of failing to live up to peace process commitments.
Sanctions were initially imposed in August last year, when 80 Palestinian officials were denied visas for the annual UN meeting in New York.
In its statement, the US accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) of “glorifying terrorism” and attempting to “internationalize” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) was established by the Oslo peace accords. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was recognized after the same process as the official representative of the Palestinian people in return for it recognizing Israel and renouncing violence.
In a statement on Thursday, the Palestinian foreign ministry called the visa sanctions “an unjustified measure that runs counter to efforts to rebuild trust, develop Palestinian-US relations, and create the necessary political climate for implementing the two-state solution and achieving peace and stability”.
Palestinian officials have rejected the long-held accusations of the Trump administration and Israel, adding they have a right to seek accountability against an occupying force under international law.
After the visa decision last year, a representative for Abbas said the move stood “in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement”.
Under the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US is required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York. However, Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
At the meeting of the General Assembly last year, Abbas instead addressed the gathering of leaders and heads of state via video.
All 193 members of the assembly are expected to vote on Thursday as to whether he will be allowed to do the same for this year’s gathering.
The State of Palestine is currently recognized by around 75% of the UN’s 193 member states, including the UK, France, Canada and Australia.
Of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members, the US is the only member that has not recognized a Palestinian state.
The US decision comes following warnings from the UN that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire despite the ceasefire agreed last October, as Israeli air strikes and other attacks continue to hit populated areas, causing casualties and property damage and driving further displacement.
On Tuesday, Israeli air strikes killed at least five Palestinians, including two children and a Hamas commander, according to health officials and Hamas sources.
The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas commander in southern Gaza and another fighter in the north. In both cases, a child was also reportedly killed.
Separately, the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians said that a patient was killed by an Israeli drone at a health center it supports in Jabalia in northern Gaza. A spokesperson for the Israeli military told the BBC it was not aware of such an incident.
The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Since then, more than 73,790 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. (BBC)
