Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the use of anti-terrorism laws to deny and revoke visas for Palestinian authorities so that they cannot attend the United Nations General Assembly in September.

“In accordance with U.S. law, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is denying and revoking visas to members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly,” the State Department said in a statement.

It added that the Trump administration is clear in singling out the PLO and PA for “failing to fulfill their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace.”

The Trump administration demands that these Palestinian representations “systematically repudiate terrorism, including the October 7 massacre.”

The US government even accuses these Palestinian representations of orchestrating a “lawfare” over the situation in Gaza and although it does not mention Israel or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration refers to actions brought by several nations before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The ICC has an outstanding arrest warrant for Netanyahu, following a case brought by South Africa and backed by six countries, while 27 other nations have spoken out against the political pressure on the court, driven primarily by the Trump administration and Republican and Democratic allies in Congress.

“The PA must also end its attempts to circumvent negotiations through campaigns of international lawfare, including appeals to the ICC and ICJ, and efforts to secure unilateral recognition of a hypothetical Palestinian state,” the message says.“Both actions contributed significantly to Hamas’s refusal to release its hostages and to the failure of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.”

The Trump administration says the Palestinian Authority Mission to the UN will receive exemptions from staying in the US, specifically in New York, the UN headquarters.

“The United States remains open to a resumption of collaboration in accordance with our laws, provided that the Palestinian Authority/PLO complies with its obligations and takes concrete steps to return to a constructive path of engagement and peaceful coexistence with the State of Israel,” it states.

More than 63,000 dead in Gaza

The US decision against Palestinian authorities comes as Israel increases military actions and maintains the food blockade in Gaza, while the new death toll reaches 63,000 dead, of which more than 19,000 are children, according to reports confirmed by the UN.

This This week, Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone and recovered the remains of two hostages, but will move forward with military plans as thousands face famine. Netanyahu has argued that weakening Hamas’s capabilities in the city is critical to protecting Israel from an attack similar to the one on October 7, 2023. Verbal condemnation from the United Nations and aid groups has not halted Israel’s military escalation. While the U.N. said 23,000 people had been evacuated over the past week, thousands more are reluctant to leave Gaza, believing there is no safe place, news agencies report.