Israelis can now visit the U.S. for 90 days without a visa amid the Israel-Hamas war

USA Announced acceptance of Israel on September 27 Joining the Visa Waiver Program adds the country to a select group of 40 major European and Asian countries whose citizens can travel to the United States without a visa for three months.

At the time, the United States said that starting on November 30, Israelis could begin visa-free travel to the United States. The program began operations Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release.

Officials gave no reason for the schedule change in a news release Thursday. But just days after Israel joined the visa-free program, Hamas launched attacks on multiple locations in southern Israel. Since then, Israeli forces have carried out relentless attacks on multiple locations in the Gaza Strip as they prepare for a ground invasion.

Under the immunity program, Israelis first Electronic Travel Authorization System. This is an automated system that helps determine whether the person is eligible to travel, the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release. This process may take up to 72 hours.Then they can travel to the U.S.

To be eligible, Israelis must have a biometric-enabled passport. People without such passports must still apply for a U.S. visa, the department said.

Countries that want to participate in the visa program must meet three key benchmarks. Israel has met two of these benchmarks in the past two years: a lower share of Israelis applying for visas and being rejected, and a lower share of Israelis overstaying their visas. Israel has struggled to meet the third goal because reciprocity essentially means that all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when traveling to or through Israel.

Many critics say that despite U.S. claims, Palestinian Americans still face discrimination when traveling to Israel.