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The United States has denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an entry visa to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next week.
A source familiar with the case disclosed the development on Wednesday.
It marks the second consecutive year that the US has denied Abbas a visa to attend the annual UN gathering.
The US State Department, in a separate statement, accused the Palestinian Authority and other organisations of “failure to reform”.
The decision also affects members of the Palestinian delegation who planned to accompany Abbas to the General Assembly, according to Palestinian officials.
The United States has previously restricted visa issuance to individuals travelling on documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority, subject to limited exceptions.
Credit: Reuters
The latest decision means Abbas is expected to face another year in which he cannot attend the UN meeting in person.
Last year, he addressed the General Assembly virtually after the US refused to grant him a visa. The Palestinian Mission to the UN has again submitted a resolution seeking permission for Abbas to address the assembly remotely.
The visa decision comes ahead of the opening of the high-level segment of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The US has not publicly detailed all the reasons behind the latest decision, while the State Department has cited concerns about the Palestinian Authority’s conduct and reforms.
The development adds to tensions between Washington and the Palestinian leadership as international diplomatic efforts over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue.
