The US State Department has instructed its diplomats to refuse most visas for Palestinian passport holders, whether they live in the West Bank, Gaza, or overseas, according to a cable seen by CNN.

The internal message, dated August 18 and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, told all embassies and consulates to refuse nonimmigrant visas to “all otherwise eligible Palestinian Authority passport holders” who are using that passport to apply for a visa. The posts were instructed to do so “effective immediately.”

Nonimmigrant visas include a wide variety of visas, including those for students, professors, tourists, businesspeople and those seeking medical treatment.

The sweeping refusal policy, first reported by the New York Times, is among a slew of actions taken by the Trump administ

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