US halts Gaza visitor visas amid review of medical-humanitarian visas

The United States halted all visitor visas for residents of Gaza on Saturday while officials conduct a “full and thorough” review of the procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas. The move came just days after social media posts by a right-wing activist claiming Gazan refugees had entered the United States sparked a political backlash, prompting the State Department to pause the program as it reevaluates vetting and administration controls. Officials described the measure as a precautionary step during a broader government review, with no immediate information on how many visas may have been issued recently.

The policy applies to the standard B1/B2 category, which allows foreigners to travel to the United States for medical treatment in specific circumstances. In addition to the routine visas, a separate, limited stream of medical-humanitarian visas has been used in recent months to assist Gazans needing urgent care. The department said it would halt the issuance of all visitor visas for Gazans as part of its review, but did not disclose a precise tally of how many such humanitarian entries have occurred or how many individuals might be...