Israel allows Palestinian Americans to enter from West Bank for first time since Oct. 7

Israel is now allowing Palestinian Americans who live in the occupied West Bank to enter its territory for the first time since militant group Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

Two Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios on Monday that the White House warned the Israeli government that if they didn’t reverse their decision on barring entry for Palestinians who live in the territory this week, it could result in a suspension of the country’s membership in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. 

The U.S. Visa Waiver Program allows citizens from different countries to travel to the U.S. for 90 days without first obtaining a visa.

Citing security reasons, Israeli officials imposed the border ban shortly after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack against the country, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, according to Axios. 

An Israeli official also said the government recognized the violation of the agreement with the U.S., noting a decision was made last week to allow Palestinian Americans who reside in the West Bank to enter Israel. 

The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment and more information. 

This comes as the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem sent an announcement Sunday that notified U.S. citizens who live in the West Bank territory that they can apply for a permit to enter Israel as a tourist for a period of 90 days. 

“On October 7, the Israeli government prohibited the entry from the West Bank into Israel of any Palestinian Authority ID/passport holders, regardless of any other nationality they may hold, including U.S. citizenship,” according to the announcement. “As of December 8, 2023, Israel is reversing this policy for U.S. citizens only.” 

In recent months, Palestinian Americans had unprecedented access to Israel due to the reciprocity conditions of the visa waiver agreement, Axios reported.