Vice President JD Vance visits southern Israel, backs Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, urges patience on recovering remains, and warns Hamas: disarm or face destruction.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in southern Israel Tuesday and delivered a clear, muscular message: Washington stands with Israel’s security goals while pushing the fragile, Trump-brokered ceasefire toward durable implementation. “We are one week into President Trump’s historic peace plan…and things are, frankly, going better than I expected,” Vance told reporters — a bullish assessment amid tensions and ceasefire violations.
Pressed on Turkey’s role — despite Ankara’s past support for Hamas — Vance said bluntly that every responsible regional actor has a role to play in reconstruction, financing, and communications. “We’re not going to force anything on our Israeli friends when it comes to foreign troops on their soil,” he stressed, but added that Turkey has already “played a very constructive role” in certain channels. The message: the U.S. will seek broad regional help without compromising Israeli sovereignty.
On the painful issue of the dead hostages, Vance acknowledged the grim realities: some bodies remain buried under thousands of pounds of rubble and locations are unknown, making recovery slow and complex. Still, he promised the effort remains a top priority: “It is a focus of everybody here to get those bodies back home so families can bury their loved ones.” He urged patience while vowing relentless diplomacy and operational work to locate and return every victim.
Vance reiterated the hard line at the heart of the Trump 20-point framework: Hamas must disarm and behave. He left no doubt about consequences: “If Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then…Hamas is going to be obliterated.” He declined to name a timeline, insisting only that the U.S. and its partners will press forward until the arrangement is durable and Hamas can no longer threaten Israel or the region.
The visit signals Washington’s dual approach — diplomatic pressure and credible force — aimed at translating the ceasefire into genuine demilitarization and long-term security for Israel.
