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The US is denying visas to Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA) members before the UN General Assembly meeting. The State Department says this is due to the PA's actions, including seeking recognition of a Palestinian state and alleged incitement of terrorism. This move aligns the US with Israel's government, which rejects a Palestinian state and views the PA as equivalent to Hamas. The decision affects Mahmoud Abbas, the PA president, who planned to address the assembly. The UN expressed concern about the impact on Palestinian representation, while Israel praised the US action. The conflict in Gaza, which has caused a humanitarian crisis, is a backdrop to this decision. The US maintains it's complying with UN agreements by allowing the Palestinian mission to attend, despite visa denials for other officials.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.