US Vice President JD Vance Optimistic About Gaza Ceasefire Progress

Wed Oct 22 2025 11:45:22 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

During a recent visit to Israel, US Vice President JD Vance reported that the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement is exceeding expectations, while warning of severe consequences for Hamas if they do not comply.

In a visit to Israel, US Vice President JD Vance stated that the Gaza ceasefire deal is progressing better than anticipated. Despite recent violence threatening the truce, Vance affirmed the commitment to the ceasefire while cautioning Hamas against non-compliance. US President Donald Trump supports strong measures against Hamas if needed and emphasizes a strategy for peace in the region.

The implementation of a Gaza ceasefire agreement is going better than expected and the truce can hold, US Vice-President JD Vance has said during a visit to Israel.

Vance also warned that if Hamas does not co-operate, it will be obliterated, while refusing to give a deadline for when the Palestinian group must disarm - a part of US proposals yet to be agreed.

US President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire deal earlier this month, said America's great allies in the Middle East would be ready to go into Gaza with a heavy force and 'straighten out Hamas' if Hamas continues to act badly.

Vance's visits come after a flare-up of violence on Sunday that threatened to derail the 12-day-old truce.

Israel said a Hamas attack killed two soldiers, triggering Israeli air strikes which killed dozens of Palestinians.

Trump wrote on social media that there is still hope that Hamas will do what is right, adding: If they do not, an end to Hamas will be FAST, FURIOUS, & BRUTAL!

Vance is expected to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to start negotiations on long-term issues for a permanent end to the war with Hamas during his visit.

The vice-president praised Israel for being remarkably helpful in moving towards the deal's main goals, but said that a lot of hard work remained ahead to secure further steps.

The two special US envoys who helped negotiate the ceasefire deal, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, appeared alongside Vance at a news briefing in southern Israel.

Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament on Monday that he would discuss security challenges and political opportunities with Vance during his visit. He also said Israeli forces had dropped 153 tonnes of bombs on Gaza in response to what he called a blatant breach of the ceasefire by Hamas on Sunday.

Hamas's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, speaking from Cairo, insisted that his group and other Palestinian factions are committed to the ceasefire deal and determined to fully implement it until the end.

Meanwhile, the UN's World Food Programme emphasized the importance of maintaining the ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries in the region.

Since the ceasefire began, 530 WFP trucks have delivered over 6,700 tonnes of food to Gaza, but challenges remain in reaching those in need effectively.