Gaza ceasefire deal going better than expected, Vance says

BBC ^ | 10/21/2025 | David Gritten and Jaroslav Lukiv EPA/Shutterstock US Vice-President JD Vance (centre) speaks at a pr

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The implementation of a Gaza ceasefire agreement is "going better than expected" and the truce can hold, US Vice-President JD Vance has said during a visit to Israel.

Vance also warned that "if Hamas does not co-operate, it will be obliterated", while refusing to give a deadline for when the Palestinian group must disarm - a part of US proposals yet to be agreed.

US President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire deal earlier this month, said America's "great allies" in the Middle East would be ready to "go into Gaza with a heavy force and 'straighten out Hamas' if Hamas continues to act badly".

Vance's visits come after a flare-up of violence on Sunday that threatened to derail the 12-day-old truce.

Israel said a Hamas attack killed two soldiers, triggering Israeli air strikes which killed dozens of Palestinians.

Trump wrote on social media that "there is still hope that Hamas will do what is right", adding: "If they do not, an end to Hamas will be FAST, FURIOUS, & BRUTAL!"

Vance is expected to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to start negotiations on long-term issues for a permanent end to the war with Hamas during his visit.

The vice-president praised Israel for being "remarkably helpful" in moving towards the deal's main goals, but said that a lot of hard work remained ahead to secure further steps.

The two special US envoys who helped negotiate the ceasefire deal, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, appeared alongside Vance at a news briefing in southern Israel.

Witkoff and Kushner held talks with Netanyahu after arriving in Israel on Monday.

Trump is said to have dispatched his deputy and envoys to Israel to keep up the momentum and push for the start of talks on the second critical phase of his 20-point Gaza peace plan.

It would involve setting up an interim...

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Hamas murdering its opposition is better than expected? What was expected? LOL.

[faithhopecharity]

Hamas is still alive, thanks to the ceasfire. Hamas and its supporters, local enablers are still Occupying the gaza district, thanks to the ceasefire. Hamas terrorist murder gang cells are reorganizing, thanks to the ceasefire. Hamas is still re-arming, thanks to the cease-fire. Hamas still kills IDF soldiers, thanks to the cease-fire. Hamas is now also murdering local Arabs who want to live in peace, thanks to the ceasefire.

Egypt won’t let Fakestinians out of Gaza district. Egypt still maintains its super-strong network of barrier walls and kill-zones along the “border.” Egypt still won’t let its Fakestinian natives return home to Egypt. Egypt still won’t let Fakestinians of non-Egyptian heritage have safe transit through Egypt to get to their countries of origin or anywhere else that will accept them (like, say, France - which is doomed anyway).

There is still no adequate humanitarian assistance program in place to help Fakestinians relocate out of the zone of hostilities.

President Trump was right about getting an Indonesian island for them (Indonesia has over 17,000 islands). An island can be effectively and economically monitored to make d*** sure that the Fakestinians never ever again attack, murder, slaughter, or terrorize any civilized human beings anywhere on earth. Problem solved! Let’s see a lot less talk and a great deal more action, VP Vance! Thank you.