U.S. suspends visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza pending review.
The U.S. State Department has paused the issuance of visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, drawing sharp criticism from humanitarian groups. The suspension, announced on Saturday, comes as the department conducts a policy review following claims by far-right activist Laura Loomer that Palestinian refugees were entering the United States.
Officials said the halt is temporary and meant to allow for “a full and thorough review.”
U.S.-based charity HEAL Palestine condemned the decision, warning that the move will put the lives of injured Palestinian children at risk. The organisation emphasised that its program is purely humanitarian, bringing severely wounded children to the U.S. for specialised treatment unavailable in Gaza.
“These children travel on temporary visas, receive medical care, and return home after recovery. This is not refugee resettlement—it is lifesaving care,” HEAL stated, stressing that the initiative is fully donor-funded with no use of U.S. government resources.
The suspension has also been criticised by groups such as the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. They argue the policy is politically motivated and unfairly targets civilians already devastated by war.
Meanwhile, official figures show the U.S. issued over 3,800 B1/B2 visas to Palestinian Authority travel document holders in 2025, including 640 in May. The State Department admitted that a “small number” of humanitarian medical visas had recently been approved, but declined to provide further details.
Loomer, who described Palestinians as “Islamic invaders,” claimed she directly raised concerns with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio later said lawmakers had flagged possible extremist ties in the visa process but offered no evidence to support the claims.
The visa suspension comes as Gaza reels under Israel’s ongoing military campaign. Tens of thousands have been killed, most of the population displaced, and food shortages have reached famine-like levels.
Israel has rejected accusations of genocide and war crimes, maintaining its operations are in self-defence following Hamas’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel that left 1,200 dead and around 250 hostages taken.
Humanitarian advocates warn that cutting off medical visas will leave many wounded Palestinian children without essential care, further worsening the humanitarian toll of the war.
