UN Has Not Received US Notification on Visa Denial for Palestinian President
The United Nations (UN) has stated it has not received official notification from the United States regarding reports that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may again be barred from attending this year’s UN General Assembly. UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stressed that visa processing for heads of state is an obligation of the US as host of the UN Headquarters.
“We have still not received any official notification from the US,” Dujarric said on Friday (21/8), responding to local media reports about the Donald Trump administration’s plan to ban Abbas from visiting New York for the second consecutive year.
Dujarric reminded that under the host country agreement, the US is obliged to facilitate the entry of diplomats and government officials attending UN agendas. He noted that similar issues had occurred previously, including with the Russian delegation, and that the UN continues to remind the US to fulfil its international obligations to maintain the organisation’s independence.
Amid the diplomatic uncertainty in New York, Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas are scheduled to meet in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday (24/8). The meeting aims to continue national dialogue and discuss the challenges of Palestinian independence amid the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza since October 2023.
A Hamas delegation led by Khalil Al-Hayya has reportedly arrived in Cairo to hold talks with Egyptian officials. The dialogue is crucial given that President Mahmoud Abbas has set 28 November 2026 as the date for the first legislative elections in 20 years in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
The reconciliation effort is a continuation of the Beijing Declaration of July 2024, which aims to end the political division that has persisted since 2007. Internal sources said next week’s meeting in Cairo will test the possibility of turning the pressure from the Gaza crisis into new momentum for internal unity ahead of the upcoming elections.