US suspends Gaza visitor visas amid political backlash

The US State Department announced on Saturday that it is suspending the issuance of visitor visas for people from Gaza while it carries out what it described as a “full and thorough review.”

The move has drawn sharp criticism from pro-Palestinian organisations, which denounced it as unjust and harmful.

Officials acknowledged that a limited number of medical-humanitarian visas had been approved in recent days but did not provide specific figures.

Data on the department’s website shows that in 2025, Washington has issued over 3,800 B1/B2 visas, permits allowing entry for medical treatment in the US, to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents, including 640 in May. The figures cover residents of both the West Bank and Gaza, but no breakdown was provided.

The suspension followed claims by Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and ally of former president Donald Trump, who alleged on social media that Palestinian “refugees” had entered the US earlier this month.

Her remarks prompted concern among some Republicans: Representative Chip Roy of Texas said he would seek clarification, while Florida Representative Randy Fine labelled it a “national security risk.”

Civil rights and humanitarian groups condemned the decision. The Council on American-Islamic Relations described it as another act of “intentional cruelty” by the Trump administration.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund warned the halt would prevent sick and wounded children from Gaza from accessing critical medical treatment in the US, calling the impact “devastating and irreversible” to its mission of more than 30 years.

Gaza remains in crisis after the conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, local health authorities say.

The US has not signalled willingness to take in Palestinians displaced by the fighting. Reuters sources report that Israel and South Sudan are in discussions over a possible resettlement plan.

Reuters