US extends visa ban on Palestinian officials before UN General Assembly

The US Department of State announced the extension of visa sanctions on officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), preventing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York for his address to the UN General Assembly. The US accuses the PA of violating US law by seeking international recognition of Palestinian statehood outside direct negotiations. Despite this, the PA mission to the UN will retain a waiver allowing its regular staff to continue working in the US.