The United States has suspended the issuance of visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, citing the need for a “full and thorough review” of recent humanitarian approvals, the State Department announced Saturday.

In a post on X, the State Department said the pause applied to “a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas issued in recent days.” Officials did not specify how long the suspension would remain in effect.

Palestinian rights advocates condemned the move, warning it would worsen conditions for civilians already trapped in Gaza’s deepening crisis.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), a leading nonprofit that coordinates overseas treatment for injured and ill children, said the decision could have “devastating and irreversible” consequences.
“This will cripple our ability to bring critically ill children from Gaza to the United States for lifesaving medical care,” the group said.

PCRF reported that it evacuated 169 children from Gaza in 2024, transferring them for specialized treatment abroad, including in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East. With much of Gaza’s health system destroyed by nearly two years of war, such evacuations have become essential.

The suspension follows a campaign by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who publicly urged the Trump administration to halt the program. Loomer later claimed credit for the decision, thanking Secretary of State Marco Rubio for “temporarily halting the visas.”

President Trump has acknowledged “real starvation” in Gaza but continues to back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies, including a strict blockade introduced in March 2025. Israel says the blockade is meant to prevent supplies from reaching Hamas, but UN agencies and aid groups warn it has pushed the enclave into famine.

Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Gaza’s humanitarian conditions have worsened dramatically. Hospitals have been bombed, food deliveries restricted, and independent journalists warn of widespread hunger. In a joint statement, BBC, AFP, AP, and Reuters said their own reporters were now struggling to eat, highlighting the desperate conditions.

Aid organizations have described the U.S. suspension as “closing one of the last doors of hope” for Gaza’s most vulnerable families seeking medical relief abroad.

With no clear timeline for resuming visas, the decision further complicates efforts to evacuate those most at risk, leaving many trapped in worsening conditions.