US Vice President Heads to Israel to Shore Up Gaza Ceasefire
US Vice President JD Vance is on a mission to make sure the October 10 ceasefire in Gaza holds. But with deadly flareups of violence and Hamas’ reluctance to disarm and hand over control of Gaza, a lasting peace could be elusive. John Van Trieste reports.
US Vice President JD Vance is headed to Israel. His mission: to shore up a ceasefire in the Gaza War. The return of peace after two years of fighting in Gaza is a project US President Donald Trump has pushed hard for.
But an October 10 ceasefire has fallen apart more than once, with both sides accusing the other of violations. Gazan officials say at least 97 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. Flareups Sunday saw two Israeli soldiers and 28 people in Gaza killed. Some Gazans who’ve lost relatives say they have no faith in the truce.
Ms. Chou (RESIDENT OF DAMAGED BUILDING):
It is all lies; there is none of it. This is the ceasefire, as you can see. There are some (people) under the rubble. Those we could bring out are here, but others are still under the rubble.
We are defenseless people. They said there was a truce, that we were included in it, that this was a safe area and (there is) a truce, but this enemy has no commitment, this army, you cannot hold it (to anything).
One issue is the so-called Yellow Line beyond which Israeli forces have withdrawn. Gazans say with just a few physical markers only now being put in place, it’s hard to tell just by looking on a map where the line actually is. But Israel says there have been Palestinian attempts to breach it. Still, none of this has stopped efforts, especially from the US, to keep the ceasefire on track.
Vance is slated to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of the US’ diplomatic efforts.
Benjamin Netanyahu (PRIME MINISTER):
We will discuss two issues, mainly two issues. About the security challenges we are facing and about the political opportunities we are facing. We will overcome the challenges and will realize the opportunities.
And on the ground, there are signs of progress towards peace. On Monday night, Israel retrieved the body said to be of one of the hostages Hamas took in 2023. Israel says that leaves 15 dead hostages in Gaza—13 Israeli and two foreign.
In Gaza, aid trucks sent to ease the humanitarian disaster of the past two years began to flow in once more on Monday after the flare ups of violence led Israel to block them. It may not be enough to stop the suffering in Gaza. But the UN is pleased there’s at least some help on the way.
Over the weekend, we and our partners continue to collect aid from the Kerem Shalom/Kissufim crossings - this included postpartum hygiene kits, medical supplies, fuel, food and water.
Even with peace apparently back, there are questions about how far Trump’s plan will get off the ground. This is just stage one. Trump’s ultimate goal is to disarm Hamas and turn Gaza over to an international force. Hamas, though, is resisting disarmament—and rejecting any foreign administration in Gaza. Trump says he isn’t going to give Hamas a choice.
Donald Trump (PRESIDENT):
We made a deal with Hamas that you know they're going to be very good, they're going to behave, they're going to be nice, and if they're not, we're going to go and we're going to eradicate them if we have to. They'll be eradicated, and they know that.
He says US troops wouldn’t be on the ground. but he says Israel would “go in in two minutes” if he asked. It's barely two weeks since the ceasefire took effect, and peace in Gaza is far from guaranteed.
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