The U.S. State Department announced Saturday it has suspended the issuance of visitor visas for people from Gaza while it conducts “a full and thorough” review.
Officials said only “a small number” of temporary medical-humanitarian visas had been issued in recent days but gave no specific figure. State Department data shows the U.S. has issued more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents this year, including 640 in May.
The decision followed social media claims by far-right activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer that Palestinian “refugees” had recently entered the U.S., sparking pushback from Republican lawmakers. Representative Chip Roy of Texas pledged to investigate, while Representative Randy Fine of Florida called it a “national security risk.”
Gaza remains devastated by the war that began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, local health officials report.
The Biden administration has not signaled any plan to admit Palestinians displaced by the conflict, though sources told Reuters that South Sudan and Israel are in talks over a possible resettlement arrangement.