US extends visa bans for members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Palestinian Authority

21 September 2026

The US State Department has reported to Congress that it will extend visa bans for members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) for another year. The visa bans were  imposed in July 2025.

The extension is made under the Middle East Peace Commitment Act (MEPCA), which authorises the US President to sanction the PLO and PA if they infringe commitments made by the PLO to the Prime Minister of Israel in 1993. The US has said that these commitments were breached in 2026, including by ‘initiating and supporting actions at international organizations’ against Israel, including at the International Court of Justice, and by supporting terrorism.

As a result of the extension, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been denied a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week – Reuters report.