US visa ban on Palestinian UN delegation violates international agreements: Hamas

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has condemned Washington’s decision to deny visas to a Palestinian delegation seeking to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, calling the move a flagrant breach of the agreements that govern access to UN headquarters.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement on Monday that the decision was not an isolated administrative measure, but part of a broader US policy of unconditional support for the Zionist occupation.

“The decision constitutes a flagrant violation of the international conventions and agreements governing the work of the UN headquarters and a continuation of the policy of complete US bias toward the Zionist occupation,” he said.

The condemnation followed a US State Department announcement that Washington would again extend visa restrictions on officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The ban is now in its second consecutive year. In 2025, the United States denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other officials, forcing Abbas to address the Assembly by video link.

Washington claimed the restrictions were being kept in place because the Palestinian side had supposedly failed to meet commitments under US law and had taken steps that “undermine prospects for peace.”

The State Department specifically pointed to Palestinian efforts to secure international recognition of statehood outside direct talks with Israel, and to legal cases against Israel at international courts.

In other words, the United States is punishing Palestinians for seeking recognition and accountability through lawful international forums.

On Thursday, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution allowing the State of Palestine to take part in the general debate of the 81st session through a prerecorded address by its president, to be broadcast in the Assembly Hall.

The resolution was supported by 152 countries, opposed by three, and saw four abstentions, a clear sign of the international isolation of the US-Israeli position.

US extends ban on Palestinians scheduled to attend UN General Assembly

The US extends its ban on Palestinians scheduled to attend UN General Assembly in New York.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also rejected the extended visa restrictions, dismissed Washington’s stated justifications, and called for the ban to be lifted. It urged the opening of direct Palestinian-US dialogue.

Under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement between the United Nations and the United States, Washington, as host country, is obliged to facilitate access to UN headquarters in New York for representatives of states and entities taking part in UN activities.

Blocking a Palestinian delegation from reaching the Assembly therefore strikes at the legal framework of the UN itself.

Palestine has held non-member observer state status at the United Nations since 2012. According to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, 160 of the UN’s 193 member states recognize the State of Palestine, which is also a party to more than 100 international organizations and treaties.

Israel and the United States oppose recognition of Palestinian statehood, and Washington has repeatedly used its veto at the UN Security Council to block Palestine’s bid for full UN membership.

The latest dispute comes as Israel’s genocidal war against the besieged Gaza Strip continues. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 174,000 injured since October 2023, with women and children accounting for a large share of the casualties.

Successive US administrations have given Israel military, financial and diplomatic cover, including by vetoing or blocking measures at the UN Security Council.

The Israeli occupation of Palestine dates back decades. In 1948, Israel was established through the displacement of at least 750,000 Palestinians, the Nakba.

Israel later occupied the remaining Palestinian territories, and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state has remained blocked despite numerous UN resolutions.

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