The United States has imposed sanctions on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA), citing their pursuit of international legal action against Israel.
In a statement on Thursday, the US said the measures were taken in response to the PLO and PA’s “repeated violations” of the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act (MEPCA) of 2002.
Specifically, it accused the Palestinian leadership of using international platforms to “internationalise the conflict” and undermine peace efforts, pointing to cases brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as key violations.
“These actions contradict UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and violate obligations under the Oslo Accords,” the statement said, adding that it is in the United States’ national security interest to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable.
Accusation of supporting “terrorism”, no evidence provided
The US also cited the PA’s alleged “continued incitement and glorification of violence,” and what it called “support for terrorism,” though it did not provide new evidence.
Under the sanctions, members of the PLO and PA will be denied US visas in accordance with Section 604(a)(1) of the MEPCA.
The move comes amid mounting international legal pressure on Israel over its ongoing war in Gaza, which has killed more than 60,200 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes, while the ICJ is currently hearing a genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa.
