The US State Department announced on Saturday that it is suspending all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it conducts “a full and thorough” review. A department spokesperson said that “a small number” of temporary medical-humanitarian visas had been issued recently but did not provide specific figures.
So far in 2025, the US has issued more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas — which allow foreigners to seek medical treatment in the United States — to holders of the Palestinian Authority (PA) travel document, according to an analysis of monthly data on the department’s website.
This total includes 640 visas issued in May alone. The PA issues travel documents to residents of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, though the State Department does not provide a breakdown for the two territories.
The suspension comes after far-right activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer claimed on social media on Friday that Palestinian “refugees” had entered the United States this month.
After her post, Republican lawmakers criticised the move. US Representative Chip Roy of Texas said he would investigate the matter, while Representative Randy Fine of Florida called the arrivals a “national security risk.”
GAZA’S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS DEEPENS
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the suspension, describing it as the latest example of “intentional cruelty” under the Trump administration.
While Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) warned that the decision would prevent critically ill and wounded children from receiving medical care in the United States.
“This policy will have a devastating and irreversible impact on our ability to bring injured and critically ill children from Gaza to the United States for lifesaving medical treatment — a mission that has defined our work for more than 30 years,” the organisation said in a statement.
Despite the ongoing crisis, the US has not announced plans to accept Palestinians displaced by the war. According to Reuters, discussions are underway between South Sudan and Israel regarding a potential resettlement plan for Palestinian refugees.
Gaza has been heavily affected by conflict following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Since then, Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in Gaza has reportedly killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
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With inputs from agencies