JD Urges More Patience
JD Vance Praises ‘Better-Than-Expected’ Ceasefire, Downplays Hamas' Violations
Vance: "We are one week into President Trump's historic peace plan in the Middle East and things are going, frankly, better than I expected... This is going to take a very, very long time."
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, visiting Israel with senior envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, said Saturday that the Gaza ceasefire is advancing “better than expected” and praised close U.S.–Israeli coordination on implementing the Trump-brokered reconstruction plan.
Speaking after visiting the newly opened U.S. civil-military coordination center in Kiryat Gat — home to some 200 U.S. troops supporting the effort, Vance thanked the Israeli government for its cooperation and said American and Israeli teams are working “hand in hand” to begin rehabilitating Gaza, build long-term security and train local forces.
Vance acknowledged the fragility of the process but urged patience. “Every time something bad happens, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the ceasefire,” he said, criticizing what he called an overly pessimistic tone in Western media coverage.
On the sensitive issue of foreign forces on Israeli soil, Vance said Washington respects Israel’s position. He said, "We won't force our Israeli friends to do anything." When it comes to foreign troops on their land, we honor our Israeli partners’ stance, he said, while also noting that Turkey has already played a constructive role and could have a place in the broader effort.
Vance reiterated core U.S. demands for a durable settlement: Hamas must disarm and Gaza must be demilitarized. He warned that if Hamas fails to comply, the United States will act to ensure the group’s destruction. He said, "We know that Hamas has to comply with the deal, and if Hamas doesn't comply with the deal, very bad things are going to happen... in order for us to give it a chance to succeed, we've got to be a little bit flexible."
He clearly stated that there will be no U.S. 'boots on the ground' in Gaza.
The vice president’s visit, part of a diplomatic surge that includes U.S. envoys and allies, comes amid fraught negotiations over the ceasefire’s implementation, reconstruction aid, and the mechanism for verifying Hamas’s disarmament.
In a concerning development, Kushner downplayed Hamas' ceasefire violations, even at the cost of IDF soldiers' lives. Echoing Vance, he said, "A lot of people are getting a little hysterical about different incursions one way or the other."
One of the reported reasons that Vance visited was that he isn't seen as particularly pro-Israel and if you listened carefully to both what he said and how he said it, it's pretty clear he doesn't have the same regard for Israel that President Trump does.