US extends visa ban on Palestinian officials before UN General Assembly

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is among those barred for the second year in a row.Published On 17 Sep 202617 Sep 2026The United States Department of State has announced it will extend visa sanctions on officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), preventing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from travelling to New York ahead of his address to the United Nations General Assembly next week for the second year in a row.“As a consequence of their failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace, the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials,” the State Department said in a statement.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US set to approve 60,000 heavy bombs for Israel: What that meanslist 2 of 3Egypt’s el-Sisi rejects displacement of Palestinians from Gazalist 3 of 3For checkpoint and settler attack news, Palestinians tune into the radioend of listThe State Department accused the PA of violating US law by pursuing international recognition of Palestinian statehood outside direct negoti...