The Palestinian delegation’s barring from the U.S. ahead of UNGA 2025 has sparked condemnation from the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza, citing a violation of UN agreements.

The Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza has strongly condemned the United States’ decision to deny entry visas to members of the Palestinian delegation, including Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, ahead of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) scheduled for September in New York.

The Committee expressed deep regret over this move and called on the U.S. administration to reconsider and reverse its decision, emphasising the importance of adhering to the United Nations Headquarters Agreement.

Under this agreement, the U.S. is obligated to allow access to representatives of UN member and observer states participating in official UN events.

President Abbas had been scheduled to deliver an address at the UNGA, and his office reacted with shock, accusing the U.S. of violating international commitments.

While the U.S. State Department insisted it was complying with the agreement by allowing the Palestinian mission itself to attend, it maintained restrictions on specific individuals, citing national security concerns.

In a statement, the State Department said: “The Trump administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and for undermining the prospects for peace.”

The U.S. accused the Palestinian leadership of pursuing “lawfare” through legal actions against Israel at international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It also urged the PA to abandon efforts to gain unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, which it referred to as “conjectural.”

In response, the Arab-Islamic Committee reaffirmed its support for Abbas, praising their commitment to peace, reform, and rejection of violence and extremism.

The committee emphasised that the international community must back the PA’s reform agenda, especially in light of the ongoing and unprecedented escalation against the Palestinian people.

The statement warned that efforts to weaken the Palestinian Authority risk undermining peace initiatives, increasing instability, and perpetuating the conflict.