The U.S. State Department on Saturday (August 16, 2025) mentioned it was halting all visitor visas for people from Gaza whereas it conducts “a full and thorough” evaluate.
The division mentioned “a small number” of short-term medical-humanitarian visas had been issued in current days however didn’t present a determine.
The U.S. issued greater than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas, which enable foreigners to hunt medical remedy within the United States, to holders of the Palestinian Authority journey doc, in accordance with an evaluation of month-to-month figures supplied on the division’s web site. That determine contains 640 visas issued in May.
U.S. far proper activist’s outrage on visitor visa
The State Department’s transfer to cease visitor visas for people from Gaza comes after Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and an ally of President Donald Trump, mentioned on social media on Friday (August 15, 2025) that the Palestinian “refugees” had entered the U.S. this month.
Loomer’s assertion sparked outrage amongst some Republicans, with U.S. Representative Chip Roy, of Texas, saying he would inquire in regards to the matter and Representative Randy Fine, of Florida, describing it as a “national security risk”.
Gaza has been devastated by a warfare that was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an assault on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, in accordance with Israeli figures.
Israel’s offensive in opposition to Hamas in Gaza since then has killed greater than 61,000 Palestinians, in accordance with native well being officers.
The U.S. has not indicated that it might settle for Palestinians displaced by the warfare. However, sources instructed Reuters that South Sudan and Israel are discussing a plan to resettle Palestinians.
