The U.S. State Department on Wednesday evening announced it was extending sanctions that deny visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and officials of the Palestinian Authority, citing the groups’ “failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace.”

The extension came amid reporting that the United States had again denied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend the United Nations General Debate, which runs from Tuesday through Sept. 28 in New York City. Abbas’s office was notified of the U.S. decision on Wednesday, The Times of Israel reported, citing U.S. and Palestinian officials. According to that report, similar rejections were issued to dozens of PA officials seeking to attend the General Assembly.

In its statement, the State Department said, “It is our national interest to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for glorifying terrorism.” The department did not provide specifics for the visa sanctions extension.

The State Department alleged that the PLO and PA failed to live up to their commitments under the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002. The department also noted that it maintains a standing waiver for personnel assigned to the PLO Observer Mission to the United Nations.

The Palestinian Authority exercises limited governing authority in parts of the West Bank; the PLO is a Palestinian political umbrella organization.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, welcomed the decision to deny Abbas a visa, The Jerusalem Post reported. “Anyone who wants to be part of the international community must first behave accordingly,” Danon said, accusing Abbas of involvement in terrorism without providing proof. “You cannot reward terrorism with one hand and demand international legitimacy with the other,” he added.

Neither the PLO nor the PA had publicly commented on the development as of Wednesday.

The United States first announced visa sanctions on the PLO and PA in July 2025. The following month, the State Department denied Abbas a visa to attend the 2025 U.N. General Assembly, and he addressed the gathering via video instead.