Trump administration halts medical visas for Gaza patients over ‘security threat’
New York: The Trump administration has paused approvals of visitor visas for individuals from Gaza, blocking a critical channel for patients seeking medical treatment in the United States.
The decision, reported by the International New York Times on Sunday, affects even young children who had recently arrived in the country with serious injuries.
The State Department mentioned that it would assess the process behind those visas. “All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review,” the department said in a statement on the social platform X.
The announcement followed a campaign led by right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who labelled the medical evacuation flights a “national security threat” in a series of posts targeting a nonprofit organisation coordinating the medical evacuations.
“Under the Trump administration, they are actively importing Gazans into the U.S. Clearly, this is not what we voted for,” Loomer said in an interview.
The nonprofit, Ohio-based HEAL Palestine, had earlier described its initiative as the “largest single medical evacuation of injured children from Gaza to the U.S.”
Since launching the effort, the group says it has facilitated treatment for 63 children, including 11 who were flown this month to hospitals in nine American cities. Many of them, aged between 6 and 15, had lost limbs in the ongoing conflict, added the report.
According to HEAL Palestine, once their treatment is complete, the children are expected to travel via Egypt to reunite with their families.
Co-founder Dr Zeena Salman stressed the urgency of the missions, calling them a matter of survival. “These children could not wait. Their lives are at stake, and this mission is about giving them a future,” she said earlier this month.
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GT beat DC by one run in a thriller
New Delhi (PTI): Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by one run despite KL Rahul's heroic 92 off 52 balls in an Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday. Needing two off two balls to reach the victory target of 211, David Miller had a brain-fade moment when he refused a single of the penultimate delivery from Prasidh Krishna and then missed the last delivery with Kuldeep Yadav failing to beat Jos Buttler's direct throw.
Shubman Gill led from the front with a belligerent half-century to help GT post 210 for four..
Besides Gill (70 off 45 balls; 4x4s, 5x6s), Jos Buttler also chipped in with an aggressive 52 off 27 deliveries while Washington Sundar made a fiery 55 off 32 balls after the Capitals opted to bowl.
For DC, Mukesh Kumar (2/55) and Lungi Ngidi (1/24) were the pick of the bowlers.
Chasing, Rahul's knock went in vain but his 76-run opening partnership in 8.1 overs with Pathum Nissanka (41 off 24) gave momentum to DC's chase.
But thereafter, none of the DC batters could produce substantial scores before David Miller's unbeaten 20-ball 41 kept them in the hunt till the last ball.
Rashid Khan (3/17) was the pick of the bowlers for GT.
Brief Scores:.
Gujarat Titans: 210 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 70, Washington Sundar 55, Jos Buttler 52; Mukesh Kumar 2/55, Lungi Ngidi 1/24).
Delhi Capitals: 209 for 8 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 92, Pathum Nissanka 41, David Miller 41 not out; Rashid Khan 3/17).
