The United States has temporarily halted all visitor visas for residents of Gaza to conduct “a full and thorough review” of recently issued medical-humanitarian visas. The move follows social media claims that Palestinians had entered the US, which drew criticism from right-wing figures and some Republican lawmakers citing national security concerns. In May, 640 visas were issued to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents, Al Jazeera reported.
The suspension comes as Israel intensifies military operations in Gaza, where over 61,800 people have been killed in the past 22 months. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, with the United Nations warning that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving rising famine-related deaths.
