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US denies visas to PA and PLO for UN assembly
The Hindu··17 Sept
The United States said it will deny visas to PLO members and Palestinian Authority officials for the UN General Assembly in New York next week. A source told AFP the measure covers President Mahmoud Abbas. The State Department cited failure to reform and activities it said undermine peace prospects. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the decision unjustified.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Abbas may again address the UN General Assembly by video if the visa denial holds.
- The Trump administration took the same step last year for the Palestinian leader.
- France and Saudi Arabia co-chaired a conference after which 142 UN member states endorsed Palestinian state recognition last year.
What's Happening
- Washington accused the PLO and PA of actions at the ICC and ICJ and of stipend payments.
- The PA said it reformed welfare payments to a needs basis rather than prisoner status.
- The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the US statement disregarded reforms it listed.
The Numbers Cited
- AFP, citing Palestinian Health Ministry data, said at least 1,109 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.
- Gaza's Health Ministry figures cited in the report put deaths in Gaza above 73,821.
- Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, the report noted.
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