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.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
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