US Revokes Palestinian President Abbas’s Visa Ahead of UN General Assembly Amid Regional Tensions

The United States has revoked the visa of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other Palestinian officials, a move that comes just weeks before he was scheduled to attend the United Nations’ annual meeting and an international conference on Palestinian statehood. The decision, disclosed by the State Department on Friday, prompted immediate condemnation from the Palestinian Authority and calls for its reversal from international allies.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the rescission of the visas, with exceptions only for Palestinian representatives assigned to the UN mission. This action is the latest in a series of restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on Palestinians, which also includes the denial of new visa applications for officials linked to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

A State Department statement justified the move, asserting, “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.”

Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh denounced the withdrawals as a violation of U.S. commitments as the UN host nation. Speaking from Ramallah on Saturday, he urged the American administration to reverse its decision, warning it would only escalate tensions. “We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock,” Abu Rudeineh stated, calling for international pressure on the Trump administration.

The decision drew swift international criticism. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot protested the restrictions on access to the UN General Assembly, emphasizing the UN headquarters’ neutrality and its role in resolving conflicts. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also voiced support for Abbas, calling the visa denial “unjust” and affirming Palestine’s right to be heard on the international stage. The U.S. action coincides with intensified conflict in the region, as the Israeli military declared Gaza’s largest city a combat zone, citing it as a Hamas stronghold.

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