The United States has taken a significant step ahead of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials. In addition, some new visa applications have been rejected. Palestinians have been represented at UN General Assembly meetings in the past. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday that Abbas and other officials of the Palestinian Authority are among those affected.
This move by the Trump administration comes at a time when the Israeli military has declared the largest city in Gaza a war zone. Following protests on social media, the State Department also suspended a program that allowed injured Palestinian children from Gaza to come to the US for treatment.