The U.S. State Department said on 16 August it has stopped issuing all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza while it carries out a “full and thorough review” of the procedures used to grant a small number of recent medical-humanitarian visas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS’s “Face the Nation” the freeze came after multiple congressional offices presented evidence that some organisations facilitating travel for injured Palestinians maintain “strong links to Hamas.” “We are not going to partner with groups that are friendly with Hamas,” he said, adding that the programme will remain on hold until vetting is reassessed. The announcement followed social-media footage posted by conservative activist Laura Loomer showing Gazan children arriving in San Francisco and Houston for treatment. The State Department did not directly link its decision to the videos but confirmed it is examining the approvals. Medical charities denounced the move. HEAL Palestine, which says it has evacuated 15 severely wounded children to U.S. hospitals in the past two weeks, warned the suspension could block life-saving care. According to State Department figures, more than 3,800 B1/B2 visitor visas have been issued to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents so far this year, including 640 in May. The Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund urged Washington to reverse the halt, arguing the visas are strictly temporary and for medical treatment. The department has not indicated how long its review will take.