Vance optimistic with Gaza peace plan; reiterates no U.S. troops to be on the ground

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

No U.S. troops will be on the ground in Gaza, Vice President JD Vance reassured Americans during a visit to Israel on Tuesday.

“There are not going to be American boots on the ground in Gaza. The president of the United States has made that very clear,” the vice president reiterated during a news conference.

Vance also expressed optimism about the ceasefire plan after a turbulent weekend where two Israeli soldiers were shot and killed, threatening to upend the week-old ceasefire as part of the first phase of President Donald Trump’s agreed to 20-point peace plan between Israel and Hamas.

“Look at what we’ve seen the past week. It gives me great optimism the ceasefire is going to hold, and if we get from where we were a week ago to a long term, durable peace between Israel and Gaza. There are going to be moments where it looks like things aren’t going particularly well. But given that, and given the history of conflict, I think that everybody should be proud of where we are today, it’s going to require constant effort,” said the vice president.

Despite the vice president’s optimism for lasting peace, the president issued a dire warning to Hamas on Tuesday morning.

“Numerous of our NOW GREAT ALLIES in the Middle East, and areas surrounding the Middle East, have explicitly and strongly, with great enthusiasm, informed me that they would welcome the opportunity, at my request, to go into GAZA with a heavy force and ‘straighten ou[t] Hamas’ if Hamas continues to act badly, in violation of their agreement with us,” the president posted on Truth Social Tuesday morning. There is still hope that Hamas will do what is right. If they do not, an end to Hamas will be FAST, FURIOUS, & BRUTAL! the president added.

The vice president reiterated the president’s message, adding that they are still working towards peace.

“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,” said Vance.

Vance said that the U.S. will oversee the coordination of the security plan, reconstruction efforts, and ensure that aid reaches its intended destination.

The vice president addressed concerns regarding some countries participating in the security operations, stating that the details still need to be worked out and agreed upon by Israel.

The president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been instrumental in securing the peace deal, underscored that “no reconstruction funds will be going into areas that Hamas still controls.”

“As far as the demilitarization goes, once the ISF is up, there needs to be a security force that they can feel safe from that in order for it to be the transition to be complete…There are consideration happening now in the area that the IDF controls, as long as that can be secured, to start the construction as a new Gaza, in order to give the Palestinians living in Gaza a place to go, a place to get jobs, a place to live,” Kushner told the press.

The vice president also addressed questions regarding the killings of Palestinian civilians by Hamas.

He warned that Hamas cannot kill their fellow Palestinians as part of the agreed-upon 20-point peace plan, requiring the terror group to disarm totally. He warned that Hamas must “behave itself,” reiterating the president’s warning that if they don’t, they will face severe consequences.

The vice president’s visit comes a week after Trump’s historic visit to the region, meeting with Israeli leaders as well as leaders from Arab, Muslim and European countries vowing to play roles in securing peace in Gaza.