41 US Senators Call for Lifting Palestinian Passport Restrictions and Resuming Visas

Washington: Forty-one US Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern over the State Department's recent decisions to restrict visas for Palestinians and demanding that the ban on the Palestinian passport be lifted. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the letter stated that the senators demand an explanation for the State Department's decision last month to suspend the issuance of temporary medical and humanitarian visas for civilians in Gaza who need urgent medical care, including children with life-threatening injuries and conditions. The lawmakers also expressed their dismay at the unprecedented decision to deny non-immigrant visas to Palestinian passport holders. They called on the Department to immediately resume issuing these visas, particularly humanitarian ones, to save lives, and to resume issuing non-immigrant visas to eligible Palestinians. In their letter, the senators stressed the need to redouble American efforts to achieve a ju st and lasting peace in the region, emphasizing that decisions of this kind harm innocent civilians and increase their suffering under the current circumstances.