US revokes Mahmoud Abbas’ visa, blocking him and 80 Palestinian officials from attending the UN General Assembly in New York.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been barred from attending next month’s United Nations General Assembly session in New York after the United States revoked his visa along with those of 80 other Palestinian officials.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Abbas and his delegation of undermining peace efforts and pursuing the unilateral recognition of what he described as a “conjectural Palestinian state.” The decision was welcomed by Israel but criticised internationally as unusual, given Washington’s obligations to facilitate travel for all representatives attending UN meetings.

CBI News reports that the move comes as France leads a diplomatic push for broader recognition of Palestinian statehood at the Assembly, a campaign strongly opposed by the US, continuing a stance previously held under former President Donald Trump.

Palestinian officials had earlier confirmed Abbas would lead their delegation in New York. However, the US State Department later clarified that members of both the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization were affected by the visa revocation.

Rubio said that Palestinian mission representatives already based in New York would still be permitted to attend, in line with the UN Headquarters Agreement. Still, legal experts questioned whether barring Abbas and others complies with the agreement, which requires unfettered access for foreign officials to UN proceedings regardless of bilateral relations.

Abbas’ office denounced the decision as a violation of international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement, urging Washington to reverse its position. It emphasised that Palestine holds observer-member status at the United Nations.