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The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a statement Thursday rejecting the US decision to extend visa sanctions on officials of the Palestinian National Authority and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. According to the ministry the measure constitutes an unjustified step that runs counter to restoring trust and developing bilateral relations while building a climate for peace and stability in the region. The ministry reaffirmed that the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people remains committed to the two-state solution on the 1967 borders and to living in security alongside Israel.
The US State Department announced the extension of sanctions on Wednesday citing the Palestinian side’s failure to undertake required reforms and its continued activities at international institutions that Washington says undermine prospects for peace. Palestinian sources confirmed the sanctions explicitly include a visa denial for President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of next week’s UN General Assembly session in New York. This marks the second consecutive year that the Trump administration has blocked Abbas from in-person participation following a parallel decision in 2025 that forced him to address the gathering by video.[[1]](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-extends-visa-sanctions-palestinian-authority-officials-plo-members-2026-09-17/)
In the previous year the UN General Assembly voted 145-5 with six abstentions to permit Abbas to deliver a prerecorded address after the visa refusal according to multiple reports. The Palestinian Presidency at the time expressed deep regret over the move arguing it contradicted the UN Headquarters Agreement requiring the host country to facilitate access for observer states. The latest ministry statement echoes those concerns by stressing that any restrictions on delegation participation infringe upon Palestinian rights and the role of the international organization.
The ministry emphasized that the Palestinian people’s engagement with the United Nations the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court does not undermine peace but instead upholds international law as the foundation for resolving the conflict. It rejected American assertions that such steps violate prior commitments under the peace process. The statement further noted that the PLO and the Palestinian National Authority continue to reject violence and terrorism while adhering to all relevant UN resolutions.
A draft resolution allowing remote or video participation by Palestinian representatives is expected to come before the General Assembly for a vote on Thursday ahead of the high-level debate that begins next week. Abbas is scheduled to speak on September 24 the same day as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu according to diplomatic schedules cited across reporting. The US has indicated it will maintain a waiver permitting the Palestinian observer mission to the UN to continue operating from New York despite the expanded sanctions.[[2]](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/174826)
The development reflects ongoing strains in US-Palestinian relations with the State Department linking improved ties to specific reforms including an end to payments that reward terrorism and to unilateral actions at international forums. Palestinian officials have maintained that such international recourse became necessary after years of stalled bilateral negotiations and unimplemented UN resolutions on the conflict. Last year’s virtual address allowed Abbas to reiterate calls for justice and an end to the occupation while the current arrangement is expected to follow a similar pattern if the resolution passes.
