The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) officials. Meanwhile, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to push Gaza ceasefire talks and address the humanitarian crisis.
The U.S. State Department accuses the PA and PLO officials of obstructing peace efforts with Israel and announced visa bans for unnamed individuals, citing actions to internationalize the conflict and ongoing support for violence.
The PA and PLO, which represent the Palestinian people and have long sought international recognition of statehood, have not yet responded to the restrictions.
While the targeted individuals remain unnamed, the move underscores Washington’s firm stance against these groups amid rising diplomatic tensions.
A State Department spokesperson said, “It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace.”
This action contrasts with recent statements from Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, which have declared plans to formally recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised the U.S. sanctions for their 'moral clarity,' criticising the 'double standards of those rushing to recognise a Palestinian state while ignoring its support for terror.'
The sanctions come after a U.N. conference led by France and Saudi Arabia to promote a two-state solution, which the U.S. and Israel boycotted. President Donald Trump warned that recognizing Palestinian statehood would “reward Hamas”.
Meanwhile, amid mounting humanitarian concerns in Gaza, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 31 July to revive stalled ceasefire negotiations and address the worsening crisis in the Strip.
A senior Israeli official indicated that discussions are moving toward a plan for a full hostage release, disarmament of Hamas, and demilitarisation of Gaza, while continuing military operations.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region.”
President Trump called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “terrible,” and stressed the severity of hunger, highlighting ongoing U.S. humanitarian aid efforts.
Recent ceasefire talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt reached a deadlock over Israeli withdrawal terms, with no response yet from Hamas to Israel’s latest proposal.
At least 27 people have been injured after three cars of a passenger train derailed near Lahore in eastern Pakistan on Friday, officials said....
A small aircraft crashed onto a road in Rochester, New York, on Friday, killing one man and injuring another, police said....
A senior UN official has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, warning of the mounting human cost of the war and urging both sides to respect ...
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, sending an international crew of four astronau...
At least four people were shot Friday afternoon at a business in Anaconda, Montana, prompting a large law enforcement response and an ongoing search f...
At least 27 people have been injured after three cars of a passenger train derailed near Lahore in eastern Pakistan on Friday, officials said.
At least four people were shot Friday afternoon at a business in Anaconda, Montana, prompting a large law enforcement response and an ongoing search for the suspect. Ask ChatGPT
A small aircraft crashed onto a road in Rochester, New York, on Friday, killing one man and injuring another, police said.
A senior UN official has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, warning of the mounting human cost of the war and urging both sides to respect international humanitarian law.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Syria is set to boost its daily electricity supply from around four hours to nearly ten, as natural gas from Azerbaijan begins flowing through a newly restored pipeline via Türkiye, according to a senior official from the Syrian Ministry of Energy.
Three Indigenous First Nations in Saskatchewan are receiving a combined CAD$431 million (US$313 million) in compensation from the Canadian government, marking one of the largest settlements to date over historic breaches of treaty commitments.
The United States has warned of reported attempts to bribe Haitian officials in a bid to destabilise the country, amid growing political turmoil and gang violence.
A federal jury in Miami has found Tesla partially liable for a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system, ordering the company to pay $243 million in damages.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he heard that India has stopped buying oil from Russia, describing it as a “good step” — though he admitted the information is unconfirmed.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment