US 'punishes' Palestinian leadership for seeking recognised state

Sanctioned officials will be denied American visas

The US has lashed out at the Palestinian political and civilian leadership, sanctioning officials in what appears to be a response to international moves towards recognition of a Palestinian state.

Palestinian officials told The National the sanctions against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) were a form of punishment for seeking an end to Israel’s occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The US move came as special envoy Steve Witkoff was visiting Israel and meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose refusal to end the Gaza war has left his country increasingly isolated on the international stage.

Only hours before the decision was announced, US President Donald Trump said it would be “very hard” to strike a trade deal with Canada after it said it was ready to recognise the state of Palestine.

Washington accused the PA and PLO of “continuing to support terrorism”, supporting international legal cases against Israel and “undermining prospects for peace”, the US State Department said on Thursday.

The State Department did not immediately release a list of the officials named in the sanctions, who will be denied US visas.

“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,” it added.

Palestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped into Zawaida in central Gaza. AP

The State Department accused both organisations of “taking actions to internationalise its conflict with Israel”, which it said was in breach of commitments they made under the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002.

The sanctions come after western nations including Canada, France and the UK said they would endorse a Palestinian state at September's UN General Assembly. The US has called the decision to recognise Palestinian statehood “reckless” and said it would benefit Hamas.

More than 60,200 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza, making it by far the deadliest episode of the decades-long conflict. Hunger grips the enclave and recent images of starving children have fuelled international backlash and forced Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

US punishment

A senior Palestinian official called the US decision a “punishment” for trying to have Palestine recognised as a state.

“It’s clear that the US wants to give the impression and send a message to the Israelis that it stands with them,” Ahmad Majdalani, former minister and member of the executive committee of the PLO, told The National.

“What’s unusual and new in this announcement is that the US is accusing the Palestinian Authority of 'internationalising the conflict' – meaning that the PA has turned to the United Nations” and its member countries to recognise Palestine, he added.

“If the PA doesn’t turn to the United Nations, then who should it turn to? And does that warrant punishment?”

A Palestinian political source said the US decision is Washington’s way of lashing out after finding itself increasingly isolated alongside Israel in opposing international recognition of Palestine.

“This represents blatant US bias and a continuation of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people under US sponsorship,” Fatah spokesman Iyad Abu Zneit told The National.

“The US and Israel have found themselves isolated together after this tsunami of international recognitions, promises and acknowledgements of the Palestinian state. So the US resorted to these sanctions as an outlet for its anger and as another show of bias to reaffirm that it always and unconditionally supports Israel – politically, diplomatically, legally, militarily and economically.”

He added that Fatah rejects the sanctions and affirms that the PA is “defending its rights in light of Israel’s continued refusal to grant Palestinians their rights, the intensifying settlement activity in the West Bank and attempts to destroy the two-state solution”.

“These sanctions come within the framework of supporting Israel, refusing to engage with the Palestinian political entity, and attempting to undermine the Palestinian Authority – ultimately burying the two-state solution once and for all,” he added.