US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision to suspend visitor visas for Gazans, even those seeking medical treatment after being injured in Israel's war on the enclave, was made after inquiries from members of Congress.
Mr Rubio told CBS on Sunday that the State Department was warned by lawmakers that some of the non-government organisations assisting Gazans with the visas had connections to Hamas.
The US has put a halt to all visitor visas issued to people from Gaza.
"We won't be in partnership with groups that have links or sympathy to Hamas," he said when asked about the abrupt decision to halt the visas.
Mr Rubio was also asked about many of the children in Gaza who received visas to undergo urgent medical treatment. "A small number are issued with children, but they come with adults," he said, suggesting he had concerns about Palestinians who accompanied the injured children.
He repeated his belief that evidence presented to the State Department prompted the decision to halt the visas on Saturday morning. "All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days," the State Department posted on X.
Washington faced swift backlash after announcing the decision. Among the groups to criticise the American authorities was HEAL Palestine, a US registered non-profit group that aims to provide "urgent relief and long-term support to Palestinian children and families". It said it was "distressed by the State Department's decision".
Another prominent organisation, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, said the move "will have a devastating and irreversible impact on our ability to bring injured and critically ill children from Gaza to the United States for life-saving medical treatment". The group urged the US to reverse its decision.
Shortly after Mr Rubio's interview with CBS, Jason Crow, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, said claims that some NGOs had links to Hamas "concerning".
"Hamas is a brutal terrorist organisation, they should not be travelling anywhere and if that's happening it should be stopped immediately," he added.
Some speculated that the State Department's decision was motivated by criticism from Laura Loomer, a far-right activist with close ties to President Donald Trump. Ms Loomer decried the visa system and called on Washington to "shut this abomination down".
She said Gazans who arrived in the US were "pro-Hamas ... affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood", without providing any evidence.
She criticised HEAL Palestine specifically. "This is a medical treatment programme, not a refugee resettlement programme," HEAL Palestine's said in response. "Our mission gives children a renewed chance at life, whether through life-saving surgery or the ability to walk again ... US taxpayers do not fund this treatment."
Israel's ongoing campaign in Gaza – which followed the 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters that resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the capture of 240 hostages – has killed more than 61,900 people and injured about 155,800.
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area. Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife. Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”. He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale. Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
