The Secretary of State is denying and cancelling visas for individuals associated with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in advance of the United Nations General Assembly.
“Prior to the PLO and PA being regarded as partners for peace, they must consistently disavow terrorism—including the October 7 [2023] massacre—and cease incitement to terrorism in education, as mandated by U.S. law,” the State Department announced.
It currently remains uncertain if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is scheduled to journey to New York to deliver a speech at the General Assembly, falls under these restrictions.
The State Department maintained that the PA must cease appeals to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), actions which the department termed “attempts to circumvent negotiations through international lawfare campaigns.”
The PA’s “appeals to the ICC and ICJ, and endeavors to secure the unilateral recognition of a hypothetical Palestinian state” have “contributed to Hamas’ refusal to release its hostages,” alongside the collapse of cease-fire discussions, the State Department stated.
Israel has encountered initially presented by South Africa in December 2023, which remains ongoing. Israel has vehemently denied accusations of a genocide. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour has reportedly spoken on Rubio’s revocation of visas, telling U.N. reporters on Friday: “We will discern precisely what it signifies and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond suitably.”
The PA mission to the U.N. will be granted waivers from the international organization, in accordance with the U.N. Headquarters Agreement, and the U.S. is reported to be “open to re-engagement that is consistent with our laws.”
The action from the State Department arrives amidst commitments from several countries to , should Israel not fulfill certain conditions. In July, U.K. Prime Minister Sir stated the U.K. would formally acknowledge a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September, unless Israel implements a cease-fire and commits to a two-state solution. Spain, Australia, and other nations are among the countries that have issued comparable declarations.
The State Department earlier conveyed its intention to implement sanctions that would deny visas to officials of the PA, which governs portions of the occupied West Bank, and members of the PLO.
“It is within our national security interests to levy consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not adhering to their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace,” read the.
Concurrently, Israel declared on Friday morning that it will no longer implement “tactical pauses in military activity” in Gaza City, designating it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
In a shared via social media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated it “continues supporting humanitarian efforts while conducting operations to protect Israel.” The IDF did not confirm how long these measures will endure and declined to comment further when contacted by TIME.
“We have commenced preliminary operations and the initial phases of the assault on Gaza City, and we are currently operating with considerable force on the city’s periphery,” was conveyed via a social media update.
Tactical pauses have previously been implemented in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, customarily suspending operations anywhere between to permit aid and food supplies into Gaza City. Israel had earlier issued displacement orders in the area, ahead of its military expansion.
The IDF’s military expansion, part of a approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet earlier this month, has been extensively criticized by global leaders and humanitarian organizations.
It was reported on Thursday that should the Israeli war plan in Gaza proceed in its entirety, it could diminish the territory’s hospital bed capacity by half.
Last week, a U.N.-backed food security body was occurring in Gaza City for the first time since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war. From the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) conveyed that famine was also anticipated in the areas of Deir al Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
The IDF also, it had retrieved the body of deceased hostage Ilan Weiss. The 56-year-old was killed when Hamas initiated a terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Weiss’ wife and daughter were taken captive and later released during a temporary cease-fire in November 2023.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, it shares the “profound grief of the Weiss family.”
“Words cannot fully convey the profoundness of this anguish. The hostages are without time. We must bring them all home, immediately,” the forum stressed.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed of another hostage, whose identity has not yet been released, were also recovered.
“Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their deep sorrow,” Netanyahu.
The Israel-Hamas war commenced after Hamas initiated a terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages taken. Over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war’s beginning, according to.
Lacking independent monitoring on the ground, the ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME. Data from the IDF suggests a .