The State Department confirmed on Saturday that all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are on hold while it conducts “a full and thorough” review. Officials said only “a small number” of temporary medical-humanitarian visas had been issued in recent days but declined to give figures.
According to monthly department data, the U.S. issued more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents so far in 2025, including 640 in May. The documents are provided to residents of the West Bank and Gaza, though the statistics do not separate the territories.
The freeze followed claims by far-right activist Laura Loomer, an ally of President Donald Trump, who said on social media that Palestinian “refugees” had entered the U.S. this month. Her remarks prompted Republican lawmakers, including Representative Chip Roy of Texas and Representative Randy Fine of Florida, to call for inquiries, with Fine labelling the issue a “national security risk.”
Pro-Palestine groups have strongly criticised the suspension. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it reflected the “intentional cruelty” of the Trump administration. The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund warned that the decision would block access to vital medical treatment for children in Gaza.
“This policy 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—a mission that has defined our work for more than 30 years,” the charity said.
Gaza remains in humanitarian crisis following the conflict that erupted on 7 October 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, local health officials report.
The U.S. has not offered to host Palestinians displaced by the fighting, though sources told Reuters that Israel and South Sudan are in discussions on possible resettlement plans.
The U.S. State Department approved a potential $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence develo...
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in R...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that additional news organisations could be barred from the White House, hours after announcing bans on ...
Russian air strikes injured 13 and damaged buildings in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and in the Black Sea port city of Odesa in the early hours of Thursday, officials said on the Telegram messaging app.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he hoped the war against Iran was nearing its end and that Tehran wanted to reach a deal, but Iran dismissed his comments as “mixed signals” as the conflict approaches its seventh month.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
The U.S. State Department approved a potential $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said in a congressional notification late on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that additional news organisations could be barred from the White House, hours after announcing bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico over coverage he described as “fake news”.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland on Friday that would significantly expand Washington’s military presence on the Arctic island and give the United States what he described as permanent authority over its security.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russia’s first State Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine is testing the country’s political system as voters choose a new parliament amid wartime and economic pressures.
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