The U.S. State Department has put a halt on issuing visitor visas to residents of Gaza, a move that even affects children seeking life-saving medical treatment abroad.
In a post on X, the State Department announced, “All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days.”
Between January and May 2025, U.S. officials issued 3,804 visitor visas (B1/B2) to people carrying Palestinian Authority travel documents, according to the State Department data. The figures don’t break down how many were for tourism, medical needs, or business, but generally, B-2 visas are used for travel related to health care or leisure, while B-1 visas apply to business visits.
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Reflecting on the current U.S. State Department call, The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund said, “the decision will have a devastating and irreversible impact on our ability to bring injured and critically ill children from Gaza to the United States for lifesaving medical treatment,” according to BBC.
The shift comes in the wake of criticism from far-right activist Laura Loomer, who called on President Donald Trump’s administration, demanding, “the Trump administration needs to shut this abomination down ASAP before a family member of one of these GAZANS goes rogue and kills Americans for HAMAS.” Following the State Department’s move to pause visa issuances for people from Gaza, Loomer was quick to claim credit and even thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the decision.
On Aug. 15, the far-right commentator and close Trump ally took to social media, posting claims about flights bringing Gazans to the U.S. with the help of HEAL Palestine, a humanitarian group focused on evacuating and treating children badly injured in Israel’s ongoing assault on the strip.
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Heal Palestine revealed that last weekend saw the largest single medical evacuation of children from Gaza to the U.S. so far. Eleven severely injured kids, accompanied by caregivers and siblings, have arrived to start long-term treatment and rehabilitation. From Seattle to San Jose, Boston to Dallas, communities have quietly opened their arms to welcome them. “Some have lost limbs, others suffer from severe burns, chronic conditions, or deep psychological trauma. All are severely malnourished,” as per Heal Palestine.
Washington D.C. had been issuing a limited number of temporary visas to Palestinians from Gaza for urgent medical and humanitarian needs. On CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday, Rubio acknowledged that while some children had been granted visas, “they come with adults accompanying them, obviously, and we are going to pause this program and reevaluate how those visas are being vetted.” By May, nearly 4,000 visas had already been granted to people with Palestinian Authority passports, a figure that also includes Palestinians outside Gaza, such as those in the West Bank.