Washington: The Trump administration on Monday announced the closure of the Palestinian mission in Washington, DC. Palestinian leaders described the move as “a declaration of war” on peace efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump. The statement was issued by the US State Department which stated reasons for closure that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) office “has not taken steps to advance the start of direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel”. It further said that the PLO leadership “has condemned a US peace plan they have not yet seen and refused to engage with the US government with respect to peace efforts and otherwise”.
Condemning the move, the Palestinian Authority (PA) said the move would allow Israel to continue “their policies against the Palestinian people and land”. PA spokesman Yousef al-Mahmoud said, “It is a declaration of war on efforts to bring peace to our country and the region.”
It must be noted that Trump administration has also recently cut financial and medical support to Palestinians.