Published: 13:20, September 1, 2025
US widens visa ban on Palestinian passport holders
By Xinhua
Palestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by parachutes into Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Aug 7, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)

WASHINGTON - The administration of US President Donald Trump has broadened its visa restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, halting approvals for nearly all categories of non-immigrant visitor visas, reported The New York Times on Sunday.

The expanded suspension covers applications for medical treatment, university study, business travel, and visiting friends or family, said the report.

READ MORE: At least 21 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza

The measure, laid out in an Aug 18 cable from the State Department to US embassies and consulates, marks a sweeping extension of earlier measures that applied only to residents of Gaza. The new policy now targets Palestinians in the West Bank and across the diaspora.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration also revoked visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, preventing them from attending the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

READ MORE: At least 41 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza

The US State Department said the decision was based on national security concerns, accusing Palestinian leaders of failing to renounce terrorism.