State Dept blocks Gaza kids after Loomer campaign

State Department halted all Gaza visitor visas Aug. 16, 2025, hours after Laura Loomer social media campaign targeting wounded Palestinian children receiving medical treatment in U.S. hospitals

Marco Rubio justified the ban claiming congressional offices provided evidence of Hamas links to aid organizations, but provided zero proof or specific details to support the serious accusation

HEAL Palestine had successfully evacuated 63 injured children and 148 total patients to U.S. hospitals, with Aug. 2025 evacuation including 11 children needing amputations and severe burn treatment

According to WHO, over 15,600 patients—one in four of whom are children—are awaiting lifesaving medical evacuation from Gaza as of Oct. 2025

American hospitals across multiple cities prepared specialized pediatric treatments for Palestinian children—Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Columbus, and Philadelphia—now blocked by political interference

More than 15,000 children killed and over 34,000 injured in Gaza according to UNICEF as of Mar. 2025, with 94% of hospitals damaged or destroyed according to WHO creating desperate need for medical evacuations

In May 2025, only 19 of Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals remained operational according to WHO, struggling under severe supply shortages and lack of health workers