U.S. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to arrive in Israel this Tuesday morning for a series of high-level meetings with Israeli leaders. This visit comes as the Trump administration urgently works to fortify the hard-won, yet incredibly fragile, cease-fire agreement in Gaza.
The truce, established earlier this month, brought a temporary halt to the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas. The agreement, based on a plan proposed by President Trump, saw the Palestinian armed group release 20 remaining living Israeli hostages from Gaza on October 13th. In return, Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Despite being less than two weeks old, the cease-fire is already showing signs of strain as Vice President Vance begins his visit, which is slated to conclude on Thursday. Analysts view his trip as a critical message to both Israel and Hamas, urging them not to jeopardize the delicate truce.
Vance will join Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Mideast envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, both of whom are already in Israel overseeing the cease-fire. This trio was instrumental in mediating the initial deal, working alongside Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish representatives.
On Monday, several Trump administration officials, who spoke anonymously to discuss private matters, revealed to The New York Times their concerns that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might abandon the U.S.-backed agreement.
For now, both Israeli and Hamas leadership publicly affirm their commitment to the cease-fire, even in the face of recent outbreaks of violence.
Tragically, on Sunday, Palestinian militants opened fire on Israeli soldiers in Rafah, a southern Gaza city, resulting in two fatalities. Israel responded with a wave of retaliatory strikes, which Gaza health officials reported left 45 Palestinians dead. While the surge of violence was brief, experts caution that the truce is highly vulnerable to further tests. Additionally, Israeli forces have targeted Palestinians reportedly crossing a demarcation line within Gaza, to which Israeli military units have retreated. Although the Israeli military claimed some were militants, Gaza officials reported that several civilians, including children, were killed in these incidents on Saturday.
During his address to the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, Mr. Netanyahu offered scant details regarding his anticipated discussions with Mr. Vance.
“We will focus on two key areas: the security challenges we face and the diplomatic opportunities before us,” Mr. Netanyahu stated. “We are confident we can overcome these challenges and seize these opportunities.”
President Trump and his mediators envision an ambitious post-war future for Gaza, building upon this cease-fire. Their plan includes Hamas fighters disarming, an international force managing security, and an independent Palestinian administration eventually assuming control.
However, Hamas has voiced significant objections to this long-term plan, particularly concerning the disarmament of its fighters. Furthermore, both factions have yet to fulfill substantial components of the initial cease-fire agreement, let alone progress toward a comprehensive deal for Gaza’s future.
The remains of approximately 15 hostages, which Hamas is obliged to return to Israel under the truce, are still believed to be in Gaza. Hamas officials claim they are making every effort to locate them, but the immense destruction from two years of conflict has severely hampered recovery efforts.
“We are fully committed to handing over all bodies as stipulated by the agreement,” Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader, stated early Tuesday morning on Egyptian state television.
Hamas has already transferred the remains of at least 13 individuals to Israel, and Israel, in turn, has returned the bodies of over 100 Palestinians. However, Mr. al-Hayya emphasized the “enormous difficulty” Hamas faces in locating more remains, citing the “changed landscape” of Gaza, where extensive urban areas have been reduced to rubble.
Israeli leaders, including Mr. Netanyahu, have accused Hamas of breaching the agreement by delaying the return of more hostage remains. In response, Israel has maintained the closure of the Rafah crossing, linking Gaza and Egypt, indefinitely.
On Monday night, Hamas did transfer the body of one additional hostage, later identified by Israeli officials as Tal Haimi. Mr. Haimi, 41, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak near the Gaza border, was killed during the devastating Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which initiated the war.
That attack claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in around 250 individuals being taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. In retaliation, Israel launched a destructive military campaign in Gaza, which local health officials report has resulted in over 68,000 deaths, including thousands of children.