US State Department Suspends All Visitor Visas From Gaza

The U.S. State Department has suspended all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it conducts a thorough review of the recent issuance of a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas. This decision follows claims by far-right activist Laura Loomer and resulting concerns from Republican lawmakers about potential national security risks. Over 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas for medical treatment were issued to holders of the Palestinian Authority travel document in recent months, including 640 in May. The suspension occurs amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has caused significant casualties and displacement. While the U.S. has not indicated plans to accept Palestinian refugees, discussions about their resettlement are reportedly underway between South Sudan and Israel. The State Department emphasized the review aims to revamp the visa issuing process to address these concerns.