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The U.S. Department of State announced on Saturday that it has suspended the issuance of all visitor visas for residents of the Gaza Strip.
The department said in a post on X that it will conduct a “full and thorough review” of the procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days, a step that could affect how urgently needed travel permits are granted to Gaza residents.
The Trump administration had previously directed U.S. officials to apply social media vetting to all visa applicants who traveled to the Gaza Strip on or after January 1, 2007, according to an internal cable disclosed in April.
The instruction applied to both immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories and extended to individuals affiliated with non-governmental organizations, as well as those who entered Gaza in an official or diplomatic capacity.
The suspension comes as Gaza continues to face devastating humanitarian conditions following Israel’s military campaign launched in October 2023. Nearly 61,900 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave since then, while the region remains on the verge of famine.
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
In addition, Israel is currently the subject of a genocide case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
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