US Bars Palestinian Visitors Amid Escalating Gaza Conflict

The U.S. State Department has quietly directed its consular officers to refuse nearly all visitor visas for Palestinian Authority passport holders. Issued in a diplomatic cable dated 18 August, the order expands earlier restrictions that had applied only to Gazans.

Under the new policy, Palestinians from the West Bank and the wider diaspora face extra security reviews that, in effect, ban travel for business, study, medical treatment or tourism. Those with alternative citizenship can still apply under standard procedures.

This escalation follows the refusal of visas to about 80 Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, who planned to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. A department spokesperson stressed that “every visa decision is a national security decision,” without explicitly confirming the memo.

For context, the Palestinian officials are from the Palestinian Authority, which is not affiliated with Hamas – the terrorist group that is at war with Israel.

Analysts link the move to the Trump administration’s firm support for Israel’s Gaza campaign and its rejection of conditional recognition for a Palestinian state, unlike allies such as the UK, Canada and France. It also builds on earlier visa restrictions introduced after last October’s Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing military offensive.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv099421pro.amp