Israeli and American flags stand during the final rehearsal for the ceremony to welcome U.S. President Joe Biden ahead of his visit to Israel, at Ben Gurion International airport, in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel July 12, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
JERUSALEM/GAZA, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Israel eased travel for Palestinian Americans from the Gaza Strip on Monday as part of final preparations for a deal enabling Israelis to enter the United States without visas, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
As a condition for its accession to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), Israel has since July 20 loosened access through its borders, and in and out of the occupied West Bank, for Palestinian Americans in a pilot period.
The deadline for Israel to show compliance with the U.S. conditions is Sept 30. If successful, it expects to be incorporated in the VWP by November – a respite for relations strained by disputes over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reforms and policies on the Palestinians.
Gaza, whose ruling Hamas Islamists are on Israeli and U.S. terrorism blacklists and whose borders are blockaded by Israel and Egypt, had been excluded from the pilot. That stirred protests by Palestinian Americans and U.S. calls for a change in policy.
Israel’s Interior Ministry said that, as of Monday, Palestinian Americans living in Gaza and who are not deemed security threats are able to enter Israel on
Israel includes Gaza Americans in US visa-waiver pilot as deadline nears
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