The United States has suspended visa approvals for nearly all holders of Palestinian passports, according to a report by the New York Times on Sunday. The restrictions go beyond earlier measures targeting Gaza, preventing Palestinians from travelling to the US for medical treatment, education, or business.
The State Department had previously halted visitor visas for individuals from Gaza, pending a full review. That move drew condemnation from pro-Palestinian groups. More recently, the US began denying and revoking visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the UN General Assembly in September.
Under its agreement as host of the UN, the US is generally required to allow officials attending the General Assembly to enter. However, the State Department said it was complying by permitting the Palestinian mission to attend. A statement said: 'The Trump administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace.'
The new measures align the Trump administration more closely with Israel’s right-wing government, which firmly opposes a Palestinian state.
