White House considers accepting some Palestinians from Gaza as refugees amid war between Israel and Hamas

The Biden administration is considering welcoming certain Palestinians to the United States as refugees seeking to escape war-torn Gaza amid the ongoing war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.

Senior officials at several US federal agencies have in recent weeks discussed details of possible options for accepting Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family members who are US citizens or permanent residents of the United States, internal federal government documents show, according to CBS News.

One proposal involves using the US Refugee Admissions Program to bring in Palestinians with US connections who fled Gaza and entered neighboring Egypt, the documents reveal.

U.S. officials have also considered welcoming more Palestinians out of Gaza and are processing them as refugees if they have American relatives, according to the documents. This proposal would have to depend on coordination with Egypt, which has until now been reluctant to receive large numbers of people from Gaza.

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People from Gaza who pass a series of eligibility, medical and security screenings would qualify to be flown to the United States with refugee status, which includes permanent residency, resettlement benefits such as housing assistance and a path to U.S. citizenship. .

The number of eligible people is expected to be relatively small, but the proposed plans could provide a lifeline to some Palestinians seeking to escape the war between Israel and Hamas.

This, as the Ministry of Health of the Hamas-led government estimates more than 34,000 dead, more than 77,000 injured and hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced in Gaza.

Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people, prompting military retaliation by Israeli forces. Hamas also kidnapped more than 200 people, many of them still in captivity.

“Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has helped more than 1,800 American citizens and their families leave Gaza, many of whom have come to the United States,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Under President Biden’s direction, we have also helped and will continue to help some particularly vulnerable people, such as children with serious health problems and children who were receiving cancer treatment, get out of harm’s way and receive care at nearby hospitals in the region “

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Smoke rises during an Israeli attack in the vicinity of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on March 28, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP via Getty Images)

“The United States also remains the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance to Gaza to address dire conditions, and we are pushing hard to get the most urgently needed aid to more people as soon as possible,” the spokesperson continued. “We have also been clear and consistent: the United States categorically rejects any action that would lead to the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank or the redesign of Gaza’s borders. The best path forward is to achieve a sustainable ceasefire through of a hostage agreement that will stabilize the situation and pave the way towards a two-state solution.

The proposals also come after President Biden issued a memo on deferred forced departure in February for certain Palestinians already in the United States.

The plan to bring certain Palestinians to the United States as refugees would represent a change in long-standing US government policy and practice, as the US refugee program has not resettled large numbers of Palestinians since its inception in 1980. .

Over the past decade, the United States has resettled more than 400,000 refugees fleeing violence and war around the world, but fewer than 600 were Palestinians. In fiscal year 2023, the United States accepted 56 Palestinian refugees of the more than 60,000 refugees resettled during that 12-month span, according to State Department data.

For applicants to qualify to enter the U.S. as refugees, they must demonstrate that they are fleeing persecution based on certain factors, such as nationality, religion, or political opinions.

Smoke rises after the Israeli army launched an airstrike in the Al Mughraqa area of ​​the Gaza Strip, April 14, 2024. (Photo by Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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The administration’s plans to welcome Palestinian refugees, even in small numbers, could draw criticism from Republican lawmakers seeking to make the illegal immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border a central issue ahead of the election. of November.

Shortly after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, top Republicans said the United States should not welcome Palestinian refugees, saying they are anti-Semitic and potential risks to national security.

In recent years, the Biden administration has dramatically increased refugee resettlement. Authorities have set a goal of accepting up to 125,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024, which ends at the end of September.

Refugee resettlement dropped to historic lows during the Trump administration.