The United States has outlined an ambitious plan to disarm Hamas and rebuild the Gaza Strip, with Vice President JD Vance acknowledging the difficult road ahead in securing lasting peace for the region.
Speaking during a visit to Israel on Wednesday, Vance said Washington remains committed to supporting its ally while advancing a US-brokered ceasefire plan aimed at ending the conflict, recovering hostages, and beginning reconstruction in Gaza.
“We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza—to make life better for the people of Gaza while ensuring Hamas no longer poses a threat to our friends in Israel,” Vance said.
The Vice President’s three-day trip began Tuesday with the opening of a new Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in southern Israel. The center will serve as a hub for US and allied forces working alongside Israel to oversee the ceasefire and coordinate humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Vance noted that an international security force would likely be established to maintain peace in Gaza once Israeli forces withdraw, as outlined in President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. However, he clarified that no American troops would be deployed inside Gaza. Instead, they would coordinate operations from the CMCC in Kiryat Gat, Israel.
Reports suggesting that Turkey—a vocal critic of Israel—might contribute troops have stirred debate in Israeli circles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to a question about Turkey’s possible involvement, said only: “I have very strong opinions about that. You want to guess what they are?”
Optimism Despite Setbacks
Despite renewed violence over the weekend that left two Israeli soldiers dead and prompted airstrikes killing 45 Palestinians, Vance expressed “great optimism” that the ceasefire would hold and that the plan would proceed.
During a joint press briefing in Jerusalem, Netanyahu defended his government’s decision to back the US-brokered truce, despite criticism from political rivals who argued that Hamas should have been completely defeated first.
“We’ve managed to put the knife to Hamas’s throat through Israel’s military effort,” Netanyahu said, thanking President Trump for his diplomacy across the Middle East. “At the same time, we isolated Hamas from the Arab and Muslim world. Those two things brought about the release of the hostages.”
Vance praised the peace framework as a “critical step toward revitalizing the Abraham Accords”, which seek to strengthen ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Gaza’s Fragile Calm
In Gaza, residents have welcomed the truce but remain uncertain about the future. Imran Skeik, a 34-year-old displaced resident sheltering in a tent in central Gaza City, said, “The war has stopped, and we no longer hear bombs. We just hope the ceasefire continues. But living in tents is another kind of suffering.”
Meanwhile, Israel confirmed on Wednesday that the remains of two additional hostages—Aryeh Zalmanovich, 85, and Master Sergeant Tamir Adar, 38—had been identified. Hamas has so far returned 15 of the 28 bodies it pledged under the deal, though the group said search efforts are hindered by widespread destruction in Gaza.
The war, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has killed more than 68,000 people in Gaza, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the United Nations deems credible. The initial assault by Hamas left 1,221 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians.
As the ceasefire takes hold, Washington faces the formidable challenge of ensuring both security for Israel and a viable path to recovery for Gaza, amid fragile optimism and deep regional mistrust.
