US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month’s annual high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, the State Department disclosed Friday, citing national security interests. Abbas has addressed the General Assembly for many years and generally leads the Palestinian delegation.
“We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision. This decision will only increase tension and escalation,” Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told The Associated Press in Ramallah on Saturday.“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,” he said.
He urged countries to put pressure on the Trump administration to reverse the decision, notably those nations that organised a high-level conference on Sept. 22 about reviving efforts for a two-state solution in Israel and the Palestinian territories. It is co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot Said He “Deplores” The US Decision.”The UN headquarters is a sanctuary in the service of peace. It should not be subject to any access restrictions,’’ he posted on X Saturday after meeting with his counterparts from around the EU.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas issued a statement about the revoked visas, saying: ‘’In light of the existing headquarters agreements between the U.N. and its host state, we urge for this decision to be reconsidered.’’
Abu Rudeineh also called for an end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza and ”escalation in the West Bank, because none of this will lead to any solution.”
The move came as the Israeli military declared Gaza’s largest city a combat zone. Israel says Gaza City remains a stronghold of Hamas.
The Trump administration has taken several steps to target Palestinians with visa restrictions.
“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and PA (Palestinian Authority) accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the State Department said in a statement.
The Palestinian Authority denounced the visa withdrawals as a violation of US commitments as the host country of the United Nations. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would be seeking clarification from the State Department.
