Republicans introduce bill to block flow of Palestinians into U.S. amid ongoing Israel-Hamas war

House Republicans are eyeing legislation that would stymie the flow of Palestinians getting visas to enter the U.S. while a war between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, rages on. 

Reps. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin and Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced the Guaranteeing Aggressors Zero Admission Act, also known as the GAZA Act. The bill would not allow people with passports issued by the Palestinian Authority to be eligible for visas, parole or admission into the U.S. 

“We can’t let President Biden abuse our parole and visa rules to bring unvetted Palestinians into American communities the way he did with thousands of unvetted Afghans,” Mr. Tiffany said on X. “I introduced the GAZA Act to protect America’s national security.”

Mr. Tiffany was referring to the Biden administration’s decision to allow over 76,000 Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban control two years ago during the administration’s botched and deadly withdrawal from the country to stay in the U.S. 

The Biden administration granted those tens of thousands of refugees parole to stay in the country, which means they’re allowed to live and work in the U.S. with protections from deportation. 

The bill, which was obtained by The Washington Times, would nix the administration’s usage of the Department of Homeland Securities parole mechanism to stop Palestinians from settling in the U.S., similar to Afghans. 

“At a time when the threat of terrorism is not only grotesquely on display but being encouraged and justified, it is critical that we do our best to ensure the security of our nation,” Mr. Ogles said. 

The conservative duo’s legislation comes as the first week of fighting between Israel and Hamas comes to a close. The terrorist organization launched a coordinated surprise attack against the Jewish state last weekend, prompting Israel to declare war against Hamas. 

Since fighting began, more than 1,300 Israelis and at least 27 Americans have been killed. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Force has been shelling and using airstrikes in the densely populated Gaza Strip throughout the week. Israel’s military launched its first ground raid into Gaza on Friday after issuing a 24-hour evacuation notice to 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza.