The US is barring veteran Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas from attending next month’s UN General Assembly in New York where the UK, France and others plan to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday that the US would not give visas to members of the Palestinian Authority — the internationally accepted leadership who administer parts of the occupied West Bank — and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas also leads, ahead of the historic meeting.
The decision reflects President Donald Trump’s continued support for Israel in the face of international anger at its 22-month war in Gaza, which local health officials say has killed more than 63,000 people.