The United States imposed sanctions against those responsible for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs in the West Bank, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), accusing them of taking steps to “internationalize the conflict with Israel,” announced the State Department led by Marco Rubio.
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The sanctions involve the denial of visas for members of those two organizations, which the Trump administration also accuses of “continuing to support terrorism, even with the incitement and exaltation of violence.”
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The Trump Administration’s decision comes amidst the decision of major Western powers, such as France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, to recognize the State of Palestine as a step towards advancing the two-state solution and achieving peace in the Middle East.
These countries, and others like Germany, have also criticized Israel for its attacks on the civilian population in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, and have called for a ceasefire.
Why is the United States going to sanction Palestinian authorities?
“It is in the interest of our national security to impose consequences and hold the PLO and the PA accountable for not fulfilling their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace,” claimed the State Department, which did not specify who the individuals affected by these measures are.
No está claro si estas sanciones impedirían que el presidente de la Autoridad Palestina, Mahmud Abas viaje a la Asamblea General de la ONU, donde Francia, Canadá y eventualmente el Reino Unido puedan reconocer al Estado Palestino.
At the same time as the announcement from the State Department, President Donald Trump wrote this morning on the Truth Social platform that “the quickest way to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is for Hamas to RESIGN AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!”.
What is the difference between the West Bank and Gaza?
Both the West Bank and Gaza are Palestinian territories captured by Israel, as well as East Jerusalem, in the Six-Day War of 1967.
But there are important geographical differences: while Gaza is an enclave to the south of Israel on the border with Egypt, the West Bank is a much larger territory, located between Israel and Jordan, with cities such as Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, and Hebron.
At the same time, Gaza is militarily controlled by Hamas and some areas of the West Bank are under the administration of the Palestinian Authority (PA) following the Oslo agreements signed with Israel in 1993. The political organization that controls the PA is the PLO and Mahmoud Abbas presides over both.