Vance warns Hamas during Israel visit, says US will ensure Gaza truce progresses
KIRYAT GAT: US Vice President JD Vance warned on Tuesday (Oct 21) that Hamas would be “obliterated” if it failed to cooperate with the next phase of Gaza ceasefire talks, as Washington sought to push forward a fragile truce deal and end months of devastating conflict.
Speaking at a military base in southern Israel where US troops are monitoring the truce, Mr Vance said the ceasefire plan was “going better than expected”, but reiterated President Donald Trump’s warning that the Palestinian group would face “fast, furious and brutal force” if it resisted the plan’s terms.
The visit came as Israel and Hamas traded accusations of breaching the ceasefire, signed eight days ago, over the pace of returning hostage bodies, bringing in aid and reopening border crossings.
VANCE VISITS ISRAEL AMID SHAKY TRUCE
Mr Vance, who will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, said he remained optimistic that the truce could hold and pave the way for deeper regional cooperation.
He suggested that more Gulf states could eventually seek to normalise relations with Israel, while cautioning that a full implementation of the ceasefire plan would take “a very, very long time”.
The United States, along with mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, is pushing both sides towards a more complex second phase of negotiations that would require concessions previously seen as deal-breakers.
Mr Trump’s 20-point plan calls for the disarmament of Hamas, a concurrent Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a roadmap towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
DIPLOMATIC PUSH INVOLVES MULTIPLE MEDIATORS
US mediation is being led by envoys Steven Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was expected to meet Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in Israel on Tuesday.
At the same time, Egypt is hosting Hamas negotiators led by the group’s exiled leader Khalil al-Hayya for talks focused on enforcing the current truce and outlining next steps.
A Palestinian official close to the discussions said Hamas had signalled support for forming a technocratic body to govern Gaza without any of its members, though it would retain influence through its consent.
Qatar, another key mediator, accused Israel on Tuesday of “continuous violations” of the ceasefire. Turkey, which has sought to strengthen its regional influence through its role, has also been an active interlocutor with Hamas.
Mr Vance said Ankara could play a “constructive role” as the process moves into its next phase.
BODY RETURNS AND AID DELIVERIES CONTINUE
Hamas released another hostage body late on Monday and said two more would be handed over later on Tuesday, leaving 13 still in Gaza. Israel, meanwhile, returned 15 Palestinian bodies on Tuesday, bringing the total returned to 165, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
More humanitarian aid has begun entering the enclave through two Israeli-controlled crossings, though United Nations agencies said deliveries remain far below what is needed.
The UN World Food Programme said shipments were “ramping up” but had yet to reach the famine-hit north of Gaza, with only two crossings currently open.
Violence has persisted along the so-called “yellow line” marking Israel’s military pullback zone. Israeli radio reported that troops had killed a person who crossed the line on Tuesday, while bulldozers continued to place yellow concrete blocks to mark the boundary.
The Gaza health ministry said at least seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since the war began to 68,229. Hamas’ Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people, with another 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
