US halts visas for severely wounded Palestinian children, sparking humanitarian outcry

Agencies

August 18, 2025

HEAL Palestine, a US-based humanitarian organization that has been evacuating severely wounded Palestinian children from Gaza, strongly condemned the US decision to halt their visas.

In a statement on Sunday, the group emphasized that it provides urgent medical aid and ensures that treated children and their accompanying family members are safely returned to Palestine.

“Our mission gives children a renewed chance at life, whether through life-saving surgery or the ability to walk again. US tax dollars do not fund this treatment,” the statement read.

The US State Department announced on Saturday that it would stop issuing visas to children from Gaza in desperate need of medical care after an online pressure campaign was launched by Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer close to Donald Trump who describes herself as “a proud Islamophobe”.

Without providing any supporting evidence, Loomer claimed on social media that HEAL Palestine "is mass importing GAZANS into the US" under the "false claim" of humanitarian aid.

The humanitarian group refuted the false claim saying, “This is a medical treatment programme, not a refugee resettlement programme.”

Humanitarian organizations and aid groups have slammed the decision, saying it blocks critically ill children from receiving lifesaving treatment in the US.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a US-based charity, also called on the Trump administration to “reverse this dangerous and inhumane decision.”

“Medical evacuations are a lifeline for the children of Gaza who would otherwise face unimaginable suffering or death due to the collapse of medical infrastructure in Gaza.”

The Council on Islamic-American Relations said the block on visas was “the latest sign that the intentional cruelty of President Trump’s ‘Israel First’ administration knows no bounds” and added that it was “deeply ironic” that the Trump administration was meanwhile “rolling out the red carpet for racists and indicted war criminals from the Israeli government.”

“This ban is just the latest example of our government’s complicity with Israel’s genocide, which is increasingly rejected by the American people,” it continued.

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and ex-UN high commissioner for human rights, recently said that Trump must realize that his country is the most complicit in the genocide in Gaza.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the death toll has exceeded 61,900, the majority of them women and children.

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Nearly 500 US-Israel backed terrorists, riot ringleaders captured across Iran

News Network

January 20,2026

Iranian security and intelligence forces have captured more than 470 individuals in three provinces, identified as key figures behind the recent wave of violent unrest and terrorist activities linked to foreign-backed networks.

The Intelligence Ministry's provincial office in Khorasan Razavi announced on Monday the arrest of 192 armed terrorists, identified as the main agents behind recent riots in the region.

According to an official statement, the detainees were involved in the killing of several security personnel and civilians, setting fire to mosques, public service facilities, and buses, as well as attacks on military and law enforcement centers.

The seized items from the group include several bulletproof vests, Kalashnikov rifles, hunting weapons, Winchester rifles, and various cold weapons such as daggers, swords, brass knuckles, tactical knives, crossbows, and chains.

Evidence indicates that some of the individuals were tied to hostile movements and terrorist organizations, with links overseas. Others were identified as members of violent criminal gangs, actively taking part in the unrest alongside their associates.

Simultaneously, in the western province of Lorestan, the IRGC announced the arrest of 134 individuals as the main leaders and influential field agents of a US-Israeli terrorist network.

The IRGC statement stated that these individuals formed terrorist cells during the recent unrest, committing "Daesh-like" acts.

They wounded security forces with firearms and cold weapons, and burned and destroyed public and private properties, including mosques, shops, banks, and private and public vehicles.

In the northwestern province of Zanjan, the police reported detaining 150 people identified as principal leaders and agents behind recent riots.

Authorities noted that these individuals were responsible for destroying public and private property and intentionally setting fire to vehicles in the province's squares.

Their crimes include shedding the blood of innocent people, destroying public and private property, attempting to enter military sites, disrupting public order, and spreading terror among citizens.

A variety of cold weapons were reportedly seized from the detainees.

What began late last month as peaceful protests over economic hardship across Iran turned violent after public statements by US and Israeli regime figures encouraged vandalism and disorder.

During the unrest, foreign-backed mercenaries rampaged through cities, killing security forces and civilians and damaging public property.

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