US Halts Visitor Visas for Palestinians from Gaza

(MENAFN) The United States has put a hold on approval for almost all visitor visa categories for Palestinian passport holders residing in Gaza, a news agency reported on Sunday.

A comprehensive set of restrictions, detailed in a State Department cable distributed to US diplomatic missions worldwide on August 18, will also block many Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and diaspora communities from securing non-immigrant visas, according to four American sources.

These tightened measures impact visa types related to medical care, university studies, family visits, and business trips, at least temporarily, the newspaper stated.

This suspension of visas follows the recent cancellation of visas for Palestinian officials on Friday, effectively barring them from attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.

The decision came shortly after France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia announced their intentions to recognize Palestinian statehood at the forthcoming General Assembly, joining 147 other nations that already acknowledge Palestine as a sovereign entity.

On July 31, the State Department enacted sanctions against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, denying their members US visas.

Meanwhile, Washington has recently removed sanctions targeting illegal Israeli settlers who have been accused of perpetrating attacks against Palestinians.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed nearly 63,500 Palestinians in Gaza.

This military operation has left the region devastated and facing a severe famine crisis.

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