In a dramatic escalation of its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on senior officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), accusing them of undermining peace efforts and supporting terrorism.
The sanctions, announced Thursday 31 July by the US State Department, include visa bans targeting members of both organizations. The move effectively bars Palestinian officials from entering the United States, marking one of the most aggressive policy actions by Washington against Palestinian leadership in recent years.
“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,” the State Department said in its statement.
The announcement comes just days after a high-profile French- and Saudi-led United Nations conference called for renewed support for a two-state solution and recognition of a Palestinian state. France, Canada, and the UK were among those to back such efforts – a move that the United States dismissed as a “publicity stunt.”
The US accused the PA and PLO of attempting to “internationalize” the conflict with Israel by pursuing legal action through bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Washington also alleged that the groups continue to “support terrorism,” including through financial payments to individuals convicted of violence and the dissemination of what it described as “incitement” in educational materials.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar praised the sanctions, calling them an act of “moral clarity” and thanking US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administration for taking a firm stand. “This important action… exposes the moral distortion of certain countries that ran to recognise a virtual Palestinian state while turning a blind eye to its support for terror and incitement,” Sa’ar wrote on X.
The sanctions target both the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank under the Oslo Accords, and the PLO, which represents Palestinians at the international level and was officially recognized as part of the peace process in the 1990s.
Palestinian officials have not yet issued a formal response, but critics of the move argue that it further erodes what remains of US credibility as a mediator in the Middle East and signals a deepening alignment with Israel’s hardline positions.
The decision also comes against the backdrop of intensifying conflict in the region. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has waged a relentless military campaign in Gaza, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to health officials. UN experts have warned of famine conditions due to Israel’s continued blockade, and a growing number of countries have likened the situation to a potential genocide.
Violence in the occupied West Bank has also surged, with nearly 1,000 Palestinians killed since the conflict began, many in attacks by settlers or Israeli forces. Meanwhile, illegal Israeli settlement construction has expanded, in violation of international law.
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