Palestinian Authority renews request for United Nations membership

The Palestinian Authority is again requesting membership in the United Nations, according to a post on X from the Palestinian permanent observer mission to the UN on Tuesday.

“Today, the State of Palestine, and upon instructions of the Palestinian leadership, sent a letter to the Secretary General requesting renewed consideration to (our) membership application,” the post read.

The post included a letter, signed by UN Ambassador of the Palestinian Territories Riyad Mansour, which referenced an initial September 2011 application for membership status and requested renewed consideration this month.

In September 2011, the Palestinian Authority failed to win UN recognition as an independent member state. A year later, the UN decided that the Palestinian Authority’s “non-member observer entity” status would be changed to “non-member observer state,” similar to the Vatican.

The Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by the Fatah political party, held administrative control over Gaza until 2007, after Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections in the occupied territories and expelled it from the strip. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza and the Palestinian Authority governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The US favors a reformed Palestinian Authority leading both the West Bank and Gaza as part of an eventual independent state. But Israel has rejected the prospect of the Palestinian Authority returning to Gaza after the ongoing war, and has dismissed the idea of establishing a Palestinian state in the territories.

Amid intense international pressure for the Palestinian Authority to reform, a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Dr. Mohammed Mustafa was officially sworn in on Sunday in Ramallah, according to Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

“Our political goal is to achieve freedom, independence and liberation from the occupation, and we are working with concerned Arab and international parties to obtain full membership in the United Nations,” Abbas said during a meeting with the new government, according to WAFA.

This is a developing story and will be updated.