The U.S. State Department announced on Saturday it was halting all visas for Gazans, pending a “full and thorough review” of the issuing process.
The department added that a “small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas” has been issued in recent days, without disclosing a figure.
According to a Reuters analysis of monthly figures on the department’s website, the U.S. issued more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas to holders of the Palestinian Authority travel document.
These visas permit foreigners to seek medical treatment in the United States.
The Gaza Strip has been war-torn ever since its Hamas rulers launched a cross-border attack on Israel’s northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023, murdering roughly 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more into the enclave.
The Israel Defense Forc