US Blocks Palestinian Officials from Attending UN Assembly in New York

Mon Oct 20 2025 06:51:57 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a surprising move, the US has announced it will deny visas to Palestinian officials seeking to attend the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York, citing concerns over peace negotiations.

The US government has decided to prevent Palestinian officials from attending the UN General Assembly next month by denying or revoking their visas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused these officials of undermining peace efforts. The ban appears to contradict the US's obligation to facilitate access for all nations to UN meetings. Meanwhile, international support for recognizing a Palestinian state is gaining momentum.

The US says it will deny or revoke visas for Palestinian officials wishing to travel to New York next month to attend the UN General Assembly session.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed them for undermining peace efforts and for seeking the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state.

The decision is unusual - the US, as host country, is expected to facilitate travel for officials of all countries wishing to visit the UN headquarters.

The ban comes as France spearheads international efforts to recognise a state of Palestine at the GA session. Donald Trump's administration has fully backed Israel in voicing opposition to such a move.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has constantly rejected the idea of a two-state solution - the long-time international formula to resolve the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict. He argues that recognition of a Palestinian state would reward Hamas's monstrous terrorism.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in a significant loss of life with more than 63,000 reported casualties in Gaza since then, according to Hamas-run health ministry.

Hamas has been controlling the Gaza Strip for years, while its rival Fatah governs the West Bank, both under the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas also heads the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which has observer status at the UN.

In his remarks, Rubio stated: Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism... and pursue legal cases against Israel in international courts. He mentioned that attendance should not be impeded by the US regardless of its relations with the respective governments.

Recognition of a Palestinian state is currently supported by 147 of the UN's 193 member states, although any change on the ground remains uncertain due to the current geopolitical situation.