The United States has again denied visas to senior Palestinian officials ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, preventing Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) representatives from attending the high-level meeting.
The U.S. State Department announced the decision in a media note on Wednesday, accusing the PA and PLO of failing to meet commitments previously made to Washington.
According to the department, the decision was based on alleged violations of the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002.
Washington also accused the Palestinian leadership of pursuing international legal and diplomatic measures against Israel that it said were inconsistent with earlier commitments, including those reflected in UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
The State Department specifically cited Palestinian efforts to pursue the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through international institutions, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
It also criticised the PA and PLO over their pursuit of international recognition of a Palestinian state, alleged payments to individuals described by Washington as terrorists, and what it called the glorification of terrorism and terrorists in public statements and school textbooks.
“The United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials in accordance with section 604(a)(1) of the MEPCA,” the State Department said.
Washington described the restrictions as a consequence of what it called the Palestinian leadership’s failure to implement reforms and its continued actions that, according to the department, undermine prospects for a negotiated peace.
The decision means Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials will be unable to travel to New York to participate in the UN General Assembly, scheduled for September 22 to 26.
The move comes amid heightened international attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and diplomatic efforts surrounding Palestinian statehood.
The Trump administration took a similar step in August 2025, when it denied visas to about 80 Palestinian officials who were due to attend the UN’s annual high-level gathering.
The latest restrictions are expected to further sharpen tensions between Washington and the Palestinian leadership over international recognition, accountability measures and the preferred framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.