The US State Department issued a statement regarding Israel's visa waiver to the United States noting that "On July 19, 2023, the United States and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Extension of Reciprocal Concessions and the Visa Waiver Program (Reciprocity Memorandum of Understanding), which details the steps that Israel undertakes to extend reciprocal privileges to all citizens of the United States, and citizens who travel to or through Israel for short-term business, tourism, or transit travel as required to participate in the Visa Waiver Program.

According to the State Department statement, Israel began implementing new travel policies consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding on Reciprocity on July 20, 2023, and will update its travel policies relating to travel of US citizens registered in the Palestinian population registry in Gaza, including those who reside in Gaza, by September 15, 2023.

According to the US State Department statement, Israel has made the following commitments:

1. All US citizens who travel to Israel with a valid US passport shall be recognized by Israel as US citizens and shall receive equal treatment without regard to race, religion, or national origin. This obligation does not affect Israeli law which requires any Israeli citizen - even if he holds another nationality - to enter Israel with his Israeli passport, just as the United States requires citizens of the United States to enter the United States with an American passport.

2. Citizens of the United States may apply for visa-free entry in order to be able to enter or exit Israel - for business, tourism and short-term transit purposes not exceeding 90 days.

3- An American citizen requesting entry to Israel for short-term visits is expected to be approved, except for legitimate security, criminal, health, or immigration concerns—which could justify a different outcome based on uniform application of Israeli legal standards.

4. Due to the security situation in Gaza, US citizens residing in Gaza will not be eligible at this time for direct visa-free travel from Gaza to Israel via the Erez Border Crossing. Instead, Israel will establish new procedures for American citizens residing in Gaza to request a permit or visa for short-term visits, including transit and tourism, directly from Gaza into Israel via the Erez border crossing. Any US citizen registered in the Palestinian population registry in Gaza, including residents of Gaza, and residents outside Gaza, will be able to enter Israel without a visa through Israel's international ports of entry. The Government of Israel will announce and implement new entry procedures by September 15 for Palestinian Americans on the Gaza registry, including Gaza residents, consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding signed July 19, 2023 on reciprocity. We will update our guidance accordingly after Israel announces these new measures.

5- American citizens residing in Gaza who have been denied a permit or visa to enter Israel through the Erez border crossing can apply to travel safely between Gaza and the Allenby Bridge border crossing. This travel must be requested at least 45 days in advance and also needs to be approved by the Palestinian Authority. Israel will also facilitate permits to enter Gaza for travel once a year for US citizens who are first-degree relatives of a Gaza resident. The Department of State reminds US citizens that there is a Level 4 advisory for travel to Gaza, and US citizens are advised not to travel there.

6- Israel will launch the new "Marom" travel permit system for all foreign visitors to Israel, including US citizens. When the Marom system is fully operational (currently scheduled for May 2024), all US citizens, including residents of the West Bank, will be able to use the system to travel to and through Israel. As an interim step, Israel has made an application administered by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) available to US citizens residing in the West Bank. US citizens who do not wish to use this temporary application can leave the West Bank through the Allenby Bridge border crossing and seek entry to Israel through any Israeli international port of entry by presenting their US passport. After turning Maromis on, US citizens residing in the West Bank will have the option to use the Maromor COGAT app to make short-term visits to Israel.

7. In the exceptional cases in which a US citizen is denied entry for security, criminal, health, or immigration reasons based on uniform application of Israeli legal standards, Israel will direct the concerned US citizen to obtain a visa or authorization to travel to Israel, consistent with US standards . The treatment of citizens of other Visa Waiver Program members who are denied visa-free travel to the United States.

According to the statement, Israel publishes updates to its travel policies and procedures, trains its border personnel, and reports aggregate statistics and data to the United States regarding the implementation of new travel policies and procedures.

Israel will implement new entry procedures by September 15 for Palestinian Americans registered in the Gaza Registry, including Gaza residents, consistent with the July 19 decision.