The State Department announced Wednesday it will continue denying visas to Palestinian officials, preventing Mahmoud Abbas from attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. This marks the second consecutive year the Trump administration has blocked Abbas, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, from the annual UN meeting.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided in August 2025 not to issue visas to hold Palestinian officials "accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace." The State Department demanded the two Palestinian groups "consistently repudiate terrorism," including the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and "end incitement to terrorism in education." It also cited contacts with the International Criminal Court, which the Trump administration opposes.

At that time, the department suspended almost all visitor visas for Palestinian passport holders, extending beyond earlier Gaza-only restrictions. Wednesday's statement said the ban was extended because the groups had not sufficiently changed practices and were "glorifying terrorism." The department notified Congress of the extension.