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.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and inte...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment