Palestinians may put US ‘on hold’ if Trump closes PLO offices

The Palestinians will freeze their ties with the US if it follows through on a threat to close the Palestine Liberation Organization's office in Washington, a senior PLO official warned Saturday.

The surprise American move and Palestinian backlash came as US President Donald Trump seeks bargaining chips in his bid to broker an elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Trump has a 90-day window to avert the closure if he deems progress has been made.

PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said his organization had officially informed Washington that "we would put on hold all our communications with this American administration" if the office were closed.

The PLO, which the international community sees as representing all Palestinians, must have its permission to operate its premises in the American capital renewed every six months.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki said it was the first time since the 1980s that the State Department had refused to renew it.

Malki told AFP Palestinian officials had received a letter from Washington "saying that the Secretary of State had not found enough reasons to keep the office open."

"This has not happened in the past, and we have demanded clarifications from the State Department and the White House," he said.

"They told us that there would be a meeting of senior legal experts on Monday. Then they would give a clear answer," he said, adding that Palestinian leaders would then meet to discuss their response.

A US State Department official cited "certain statements made by Palestinian leaders" about the International Criminal Court as the reason behind the non-renewal.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in his latest speech at the UN General Assembly, suggested taking the issue of Israeli settlements to the ICC.

In 2015 Congress issued a resolution barring Palestinians from seeking to wield influence over the ICC regarding investigations into Israeli nationals.