Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday expressed optimism that the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will endure under President Donald Trump’s regional peace initiative, but cautioned that maintaining the truce will demand “constant vigilance” from all parties involved.
“I think that everybody should be proud of where we are today,” Vance told reporters during a press conference hours after arriving in Israel. “It’s going to require constant effort, it’s going to require constant monitoring and supervision.”
While acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the long-term success of the deal, Vance argued that pursuing peace despite the risks was essential.
“Can I say with 100 percent certainty that it’s going to work? No,” he said. “But you don’t do difficult things by only doing what’s 100 percent certain. You do difficult things by trying. And that’s what the President of the United States has asked us to do.”
Opening of Coordination Center
The vice president’s remarks came as he formally inaugurated the new U.S.-led Civilian-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), which will serve as the central hub for monitoring the ceasefire and facilitating humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
The CMCC will be staffed by roughly 200 U.S. troops, with additional personnel expected from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, according to U.S. officials. However, Vance emphasized that any deployment of foreign troops into Israeli territory would require approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, who oversaw the establishment of the center, described it as critical to managing the flow of aid and reconstruction materials into Gaza.
“This facility will be the hub for the delivery of everything that goes into Gaza as we look to the future,” Cooper said.
Vance was joined at the event by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, two of the key architects of the ceasefire and Trump’s 20-point peace plan, along with Adm. Cooper.
A Ceasefire Under Strain
Vance dismissed suggestions that his visit was intended to bolster a ceasefire facing early challenges after mutual accusations of violations from both Israel and Hamas. Instead, he rebuked what he described as negativity in Western coverage of the peace process.
“There is this weird attitude that I’ve sensed in the American media, in the Western media, where there’s almost this desire to root for failure,” he said. “It’s not the end. It is, in fact, exactly how this is going to have to happen. We have people who hate each other, who have been fighting each other for a very long time. We are doing very well, we are in a very good place, but we have to keep working on it.”
Trump’s Plan and the Road Ahead
The CMCC is viewed as a tangible step toward implementing President Trump’s ceasefire plan, which calls for Hamas to hand over the bodies of the remaining hostages taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. In exchange, Israel has agreed to withdraw troops from key parts of Gaza while discussions continue on forming an International Stabilization Force to assume security responsibilities.
Under the terms of the agreement, a technocratic Palestinian-led administration would eventually govern Gaza, with international oversight. However, Hamas has yet to formally agree to these later phases of the plan.
Despite the uncertainty, Trump administration officials pressed ahead after the initial ceasefire produced the release of 20 living hostages and brought about a temporary halt in fighting.
Trump has publicly warned Hamas against resuming hostilities or pursuing retribution against rival Palestinian groups, threatening that the militant organization would be “eradicated” if it violated the agreement or failed to begin disarmament.
No Deadline for Disarmament
When pressed on whether Hamas faces a deadline to give up its weapons, Vance declined to specify one, echoing Trump’s earlier stance.
“Hamas has to comply with the deal, and if Hamas doesn’t comply with the deal, very bad things are going to happen,” he said. “But I’m not going to put an explicit deadline on it, because a lot of this stuff is difficult. A lot of this stuff is unpredictable.”
