U.S sanctions Palestinian leadership over statehood push

U.S sanctions Palestinian leadership over statehood push

The Donald Trump administration has announced new sanctions targeting the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), citing their participation in a conference that rallied support for a two-state solution.

The international high-level conference for the peaceful settlement of Palestinians and implementation of the two-state solution was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on July 28–29, 2025

Co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, it had originally been scheduled for mid‑June 2025 but was postponed due to regional developments.

The US dismissed the event as a “publicity stunt” and had previously warned of diplomatic repercussions for what it labelled as “anti-Israel” declarations.

BBC reports that the sanctions include visa bans on Palestinian officials, signaling America’s growing frustration with international backing for Palestinian statehood.

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France, the UK, and Canada have all committed to recognising an independent Palestinian state later this year if the humanitarian situation in Gaza does not improve.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated this position on Thursday, saying the humanitarian crisis must see material improvement or the UK will proceed with

recognition of Palestine by September. “The situation on the ground in Gaza needs to change. There’s a humanitarian catastrophe,” Starmer told the BBC, while also calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday amid growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza.

Witkoff who arrived in Israel earlier in the day could also visit humanitarian aid sites in Gaza, though this has not been officially confirmed.

His visit comes as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 111 people were killed in the last 24 hours, including 91 who died while trying to access aid.

The ministry also reported that two people died due to malnutrition, pushing the number of hunger-related deaths since the start of the war to 159.

The overall death toll in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023 now stands at 60,249, the ministry claims.

U.S sanctions Palestinian leadership over statehood push