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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department has halted visitor visas for Gazans, citing “evidence” that some visa-facilitating organizations have strong ties to terrorist groups, such as Hamas. He did not provide additional specifics.
During an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Rubio mentioned that this “evidence” was brought to the attention of the Trump administration by “numerous congressional offices.” The department also received inquiries from multiple congressional offices regarding the matter.
Rubio highlighted that although only a “small number” of visas were granted to children, these children are accompanied by adults. He stated that the program will be temporarily paused to reassess the visa vetting process.
“We’re not going to collaborate with groups that have connections or sympathies towards Hamas,” Rubio added, though he did not specify which groups or offer more details to justify the administration’s concerns.
CNN reached out to the State Department for more information about the evidence cited by Rubio.
Last month, President Donald Trump acknowledged the “real starvation” in Gaza, a departure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance, reflecting Trump’s increasing frustration with Netanyahu.
“I see it, and you can’t fake that. So, we’re going to be even more involved,” Trump told reporters of the humanitarian crisis.
