US shuts down Al-Quds Palestinian Affairs Office to merge with embassy
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The US has closed its Office of Palestinian Affairs in occupied Al-Quds, ending direct diplomatic outreach to Gaza and the West Bank as "Israel" expands its assault on the Gaza Strip.
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A road sign shows the way towards the US embassy in occupied Al-Quds, Palestine on April 19, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP)
The United States has formally shut down its Office of Palestinian Affairs in occupied al-Quds with plans to merge it with the US embassy, effectively terminating Washington’s direct diplomatic channel to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The move reflects a return to Trump-era foreign policy frameworks that sharply downgraded US-Palestinian engagement.
According to an internal State Department memo obtained by The Guardian, the office officially ceased operations on Friday, May 16. The abrupt closure comes as "Israel" intensifies its military assault in Gaza, which has already killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Office of Palestinian Affairs had served as Washington’s main mechanism for handling Palestinian diplomatic matters since its establishment in 2022. It employed nearly 100 staff, including two dozen Americans. Its closure means all matters relating to Palestinians will now be filtered through the US embassy in occupied al-Quds, under the oversight of Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a figure who has previously denied the existence of Palestinian identity, stating, “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian.”
While State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce insisted that the change “is not a reflection on any outreach or commitment to outreach to the people at the West Bank or to Gaza,” critics argue that the closure signals a final blow to Palestinian diplomatic presence in US foreign policy.
Move follows Trump-era policies on Al-Quds
The decision aligns with the foreign policy of US President Donald Trump, who in his first term shut down the US consulate in occupied Al-Quds that had previously allowed Palestinians to communicate with Washington independently of "Israel." The new policy restores what Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “a unified US diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports to the US ambassador.”
The Biden administration had left the Office of Palestinian Affairs marginalized for months, even as brutal fighting unfolded in Gaza. Back-channel talks between Hamas and the US had nonetheless continued, including negotiations that secured the release of captive Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander. Still, critics say those efforts occurred despite, not because of, any meaningful policy framework on Palestine.
Gaza war escalates as US consolidates 'Israel' relations
As "Israel" continues to block aid from entering Gaza, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated drastically with fears of widescale famine. In addition, Health authorities in Gaza report that more than 53,486 Palestinians have been martyred since October 2023, the vast majority of them women and children.
Despite mounting calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian relief, the US remains firmly aligned with the Israeli occupation regime, drawing criticism from former US diplomats. “We don’t have a policy on Palestine,” said Mike Casey, former deputy political counselor on Gaza, in comments to The Guardian last December. “We just do what the Israelis want us to do.”
