U.S. Suspends Visas For Palestinian Passport Holders: NYT

Umer Jamshaid Published September 01, 2025 | 02:10 PM

NEW YORK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Sep, 2025) The Trump Administration has suspended nearly all types of nonimmigrant visas for Palestinian passport holders, The New York Times reported Sunday night.

The blanket suspension marks an escalation from earlier restrictions on Palestinians seeking to enter the U.S.

Last week, the State Department also said it would not issue visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and about 80 officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York next month.

The policy, which further aligns the Trump administration to the radical right wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was issued in an Aug. 18 cable from the State Department to all U.S. embassies and consulates, temporarily suspends visas for medical treatment, university studies, visits to friends or relatives, and business, according to the Times. It is not clear how long the suspension will remain in place.

The move came after France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the upcoming General Assembly, joining 147 countries that have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.

The State Department imposed sanctions on the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority on July 31, denying their members US visas.

In contrast, Washington recently lifted sanctions on illegal Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians.

Israel has killed nearly 63,500 Palestinians in its genocidal war in Gaza since October 2023. The Israeli military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.