The U.S. State Department Suspends Visa Issuance for Residents of Gaza

• The U.S. State Department has suspended visa issuance for residents of Gaza.
• The decision was made following the publication of an activist video about visas for children.
• The organization HEAL Palestine expressed concern regarding the suspension of visas.

Washington (AP) — The U.S. State Department announced the suspension of all visa issuance for residents of Gaza due to the review of the visa issuance process for temporary medical visas. This decision was made after activist Lora Lumer published a video of children from Gaza who arrived in the U.S. for medical treatment.

In the statement from the State Department, it is noted that visas were suspended for a comprehensive review of the processes and procedures that were used for the issuance of a limited number of medical visas in recent days. According to the State Department, since January through March 2025, 3,804 visas have been issued for individuals with Palestinian documents.

Lumer stated that these visas pose a threat to national security, referring to the links of some organizations that participated in their acquisition with terrorist groups. In response to this, Senator Marco Rubio indicated that the visa issuance program will be suspended for the evaluation of their review.

The organization HEAL Palestine, which helps children from Gaza receive medical assistance in the U.S., expressed concern over this decision. They stated that the program is not a resettlement program for refugees but provides assistance to children who need urgent medical treatment.

Global health organizations also called for an increase in medical evacuations from Gaza, as the local health care system has suffered significant setbacks due to the war.

Tags: USA/Middle East/Politics