US bans visas for Palestinian passport holders

The United States has stopped accepting Palestinian passports for visa applications, a move that effectively bans holders from traveling to the US for any purpose. This directive is reportedly part of a broader Trump administration effort to discredit Palestinian statehood aspirations and follows pressure from a far-right activist. The decision comes after the US also announced it was revoking visas for Palestinian Authority and PLO members ahead of the UN General Assembly. This policy stands in contrast to other countries planning to recognize a Palestinian state, a move Israel has threatened to counter with annexation of the occupied West Bank.