White House considers admitting some Palestinians from Gaza as refugees

CBS News has revealed that the Biden administration is considering accepting some Palestinians into the United States as refugees.

Senior officials from several U.S. government agencies have discussed the idea of ​​resettling Palestinians with immediate family members who are American citizens from Gaza. One idea being proposed is to use the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to allow Palestinians with ties to the U.S. who fled Gaza and are now in Egypt to enter the country as refugees. CBS News reported.

The Biden administration did not confirm or deny that the proposal was under consideration, but in a statement to The Hill, the White House said it has not been able to help more than 1,800 American citizens and their families flee Gaza since the war began. He said he has been supportive.

CBS reported that senior administration officials discussed the possibility of helping additional Palestinians with U.S.-based family members escape from Gaza if they could work with Egypt. In order to receive refugee status and travel to the United States, a person must pass qualification tests, including medical and safety tests.

“At President Biden’s direction, we will also ensure that especially vulnerable populations, such as children with serious health issues or undergoing treatment for cancer, are kept out of harm’s way, We have helped, and will continue to help, access hospital treatment in this area,” the White House said in a statement.

Although the proposal would offer a relatively small number of people the opportunity to leave Gaza, it marks a shift in the United States’ long-standing refugee program. Since its inception in 1980, the program has not resettled large numbers of Palestinians in the United States. Of the more than 400,000 refugees resettled by the United States in the past decade, fewer than 600 were Palestinian, CBS reported.

The White House said the United States remains the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Gaza to address the “dire situation” in which more than 34,000 people have died and starvation is widespread. The Biden administration said it is “pressing hard” to get more aid to civilians as soon as possible.

“We have also been clear and consistent: The United States categorically rejects any action that would lead to the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank or the redrawing of Gaza’s borders,” the statement said. . “The best path forward is to achieve a sustainable ceasefire through a hostage deal, stabilize the situation, and pave the way for a two-state solution.”