US blocks Palestinian leader from UN meeting in New York for second year in row
The US State Department extended visa sanctions after accusing Palestinian officials of failing to live up to peace process commitments.
**US blocks Palestinian leader from UN meeting in New York for second year in row**
The US has refused to grant Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa for next week’s UN General Assembly in New York, two Palestinian sources told the BBC.
The move follows the US announcement that it was extending visa sanctions on Palestinian officials, without mentioning Abbas by name, and accusing them of failing to meet peace process commitments.
The sanctions were first introduced in August last year, when 80 Palestinian officials were denied visas for the annual UN gathering in New York.
In its statement, the US accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) of "glorifying terrorism" and trying to "internationalize" the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) was created under the Oslo peace accords. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) was later recognised through the same process as the official representative of the Palestinian people, in exchange for recognising Israel and renouncing violence.
Palestinian officials have not yet commented on the latest US announcement.
However, after last year’s visa ruling, a representative for Abbas said the decision was "in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement".
Under the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US must permit foreign diplomats to enter the UN in New York. Still, Washington says it may refuse visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
At last year’s General Assembly, Abbas instead spoke to leaders and heads of state by video.
All 193 members of the assembly are due to vote on Thursday on whether he will be allowed to do the same at this year’s meeting.
The State of Palestine is currently recognised by about 75% of the UN’s 193 member states, including the UK, France, Canada and Australia.
Among the UN Security Council’s five permanent members, the US is the only one that has not recognised a Palestinian state.
The US decision comes after UN warnings 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 forcing 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 incidents, a child was also reportedly killed.
Separately, the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians said a patient was killed by an Israeli drone at a health centre it supports in Jabalia in northern Gaza. A spokesperson for the Israeli military told the BBC it was not aware of any such incident.
The Gaza war began with 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 regarded as reliable by the UN.