The United States has announced its intention to deny or revoke visas for Palestinian officials seeking to travel to New York for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed the decision to concerns that these officials are undermining peace efforts and pursuing “the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state.”
The move is noteworthy as the U.S., in its capacity as host country, is generally expected to facilitate travel for officials from all nations attending UN events at its headquarters.
This decision coincides with France’s leadership in international endeavors to recognize a Palestinian state during the GA session, a move that the Trump administration has consistently opposed, aligning itself with Israel’s stance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently rejected the two-state solution, a long-standing international framework aimed at resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This solution envisions the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Netanyahu argues that recognizing a Palestinian state would be tantamount to rewarding “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism.”
The Israeli military initiated a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 63,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the commencement of the Israeli military operation.
Hamas has maintained control of the Gaza Strip for several years, while its rival, Fatah, governs the West Bank.
Both territories are nominally under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas also heads the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the umbrella organization representing Palestinians in international forums. The PLO has held observer status at the UN since 1974, allowing it to participate in meetings but not vote on resolutions.
In his statement on Friday, Rubio asserted: “Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism – including the October 7 massacre – and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by U.S. law and as promised by the PLO.”
He further stated that they must cease efforts to circumvent negotiations by pursuing legal action against Israel in international courts.
Rubio clarified that Palestinian representatives at the UN mission in New York would still be permitted to attend meetings, in accordance with the UN Headquarters Agreement, which governs the operations of the UN in the United States.
However, it remains unclear whether the U.S. decision to deny or revoke visas aligns with the UN Headquarters Agreement, which stipulates that the U.S. shall not impede the attendance of foreign officials in New York, “irrespective of the relations” between their respective governments and the U.S.
In addition to France, the UK, Canada, and Australia have also indicated plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming GA meeting.
Currently, 147 of the UN’s 193 member states recognize the state of Palestine.
Despite this recognition, the absence of recognized borders, the presence of Israeli settlers controlling significant portions of the West Bank (a situation deemed illegal under international law), and calls to replicate this in Gaza suggest that any recognition of a Palestinian state may not significantly alter the situation on the ground.
Israeli media reports that a deal is on the table and Netanyahu must take it, according to his chief of staff.
Aid agencies report that Israel has systematically obstructed food from entering Gaza, while a UN-backed body confirms a famine.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry states its rejection of “any step that would undermine what remains of the health system.”
An Israeli military spokesman says troops will deepen the damage to the “terror infrastructure” held by Hamas.
Troops are already operating in some areas ahead of the planned operation, which the ICRC says will worsen “an already catastrophic situation”.