In an unprecedented move, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 29 August revoked visas for Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders scheduled to attend the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

The State Department justified the move by citing PA payments to the families of Palestinian martyrs, President Mahmoud Abbas’ plan to use a “constitutional declaration” to declare an independent Palestinian state at the General Assembly meeting, and Palestinian efforts to hold Israel accountable for war crimes in international courts.

“The Palestinian Authority must also cease its attempts to circumvent the negotiations through international legal campaigns, including appeals to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and efforts to secure unilateral recognition of a possible Palestinian state,” the State Department said in a statement.

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