The ban includes Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who has addressed the U.N. for years and was set to travel to New York to deliver a speech at the upcoming General Assembly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism\u2014including the October 7 [2023] massacre\u2014and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by U.S. law,\u201d the State Department said in a statement released on Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n The State Department insisted that the PA must end appeals to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), moves which the department called \u201cattempts to bypass negotiations through international lawfare campaigns.\u201d<\/p>\n The PA\u2019s \u201cappeals to the ICC and ICJ, and efforts to secure the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state\u201d have \u201ccontributed to Hamas\u2019 refusal to release its hostages,\u201d as well as the breakdown of cease-fire talks, said the State Department.<\/p>\n The Palestinian Authority called on the State Department to reverse the ban.<\/p>\n \u201cThis decision will only increase tension and escalation,\u201d Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told the Associated Press in Ramallah on Saturday. \u201cWe have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock.\u201d<\/p>\n Israel has faced accusations of genocide at the ICJ,<\/a> first presented by South Africa in December 2023, in a case<\/a> that remains ongoing. Israel has strongly denied accusations of a genocide. The ICC previously issued arrest warrants<\/a> for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.<\/p>\n Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour has reportedly commented<\/a> on Rubio\u2019s revocation of visas, telling U.N. reporters on Friday: \u201cWe will see exactly what it means and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n The PA mission to the U.N. will receive waivers from the international organization, per the U.N. Headquarters Agreement, and the U.S. is said to be \u201copen to re-engagement that is consistent with our laws.\u201d<\/p>\n The action from the State Department comes amid pledges from a number of countries to recognize a Palestinian state<\/a>, should Israel not meet certain conditions. In July, U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer<\/a> said the U.K. would formally recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September, unless Israel implements a cease-fire and commits to a two-state solution. France<\/a>, Australia, and Canada<\/a> are among the countries that have issued similar statements.<\/p>\n The State Department previously shared its intention to impose sanctions that would deny visas to officials of the PA, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank, and members of the PLO.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace,\u201d read the July 31 statement.<\/a><\/p>\n European nations came out in support of Abbas and against the U.S. decision on Saturday.<\/p>\n French Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot condemned the revocation of visas and argued that it went against the principles of the United Nations: \u201cThe UN headquarters is a sanctuary in the service of peace: it cannot tolerate any restrictions on access.\u201d<\/p>\n Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez posted on social media that he spoke with Abbas about the \u201cunjust revocation of visas for Palestinian delegates.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPalestine has the right to make its voice heard in the United Nations and in all international forums,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cThe attacks on civilians in Gaza are inhumane and must cease immediately. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to pass through to alleviate the suffering of the population.\u201dOn Saturday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas urged<\/a> the United States to reconsider the decision \u201cin light of international law and the structure of the UN.\u201d She went on to condemn Israel\u2019s escalating settlement in the West Bank calling it “illegal\u201d and that it is \u201cundermining the two-state solution.”<\/p>\n Read More: Israelis Call for Urgent Cease-Fire and Return of Hostages in Nationwide \u2018Day of Struggle\u2019 Protests<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Israel announced on Friday morning that it will no longer apply \u201ctactical pauses in military activity\u201d in Gaza City, declaring it as a \u201cdangerous combat zone.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> shared via social media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it \u201ccontinues supporting humanitarian efforts while conducting operations to protect Israel.\u201d The IDF did not confirm how long these measures will last and declined to comment further when contacted by TIME.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have begun preliminary operations and the initial stages of the attack on Gaza City, and we are currently operating with great force on the outskirts of the city,\u201d said IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee<\/a> via a social media update.<\/p>\n Tactical pauses have previously been applied to Israel\u2019s military offensive in Gaza, typically suspending operations anywhere between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.<\/a> to allow aid and food supplies into Gaza City. Israel previously issued displacement orders in the area, ahead of its military expansion.<\/p>\n The IDF\u2019s expansion of its military operations, part of a new war plan<\/a> approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet earlier this month, has been widely criticized by global leaders and humanitarian organizations.<\/p>\n The U.N. warned<\/a> on Thursday that should the Israeli war plan in Gaza go ahead in its entirety, it could reduce the territory\u2019s hospital bed capacity by half.<\/p>\n Last week, a U.N.-backed food security body confirmed that famine<\/a> is taking place in Gaza City for the first time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The report<\/a> from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said that famine was also expected in the areas of Deir al Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.<\/p>\n Palestinians inspect the aftermath of strikes in Gaza City on Aug. 29, 2025.Khames Alrefi\u2014Getty Images<\/p>\n Read More: World Leaders React as U.N.-Backed Report Confirms Famine in Gaza<\/a><\/p>\n The IDF also confirmed Friday<\/a> it had recovered the body of deceased hostage Ilan Weiss. The 56-year-old was killed when Hamas launched a terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7 2023. Weiss\u2019 wife and daughter were taken hostage and later released during a temporary cease-fire in November 2023.<\/p>\n The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said<\/a> it shares the \u201cprofound grief of the Weiss family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no words to express the depth of this pain. The hostages have no time. We must bring them all home, now,\u201d the forum emphasized.<\/p>\n Netanyahu\u2019s office confirmed that the remains<\/a> of another hostage, whose identity has not yet been released, were also recovered.<\/p>\n \u201cTogether with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their deep sorrow,\u201d said<\/a> Netanyahu.<\/p>\n The Israel-Hamas war started after Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, the ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME. Data from the IDF suggests a Palestinian civilian death rate of 83%<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Palestinians](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/e7c78e91b0180efce3968079e1a30bea.jpeg\"\/)
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