Jpost
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is not in danger of collapsing, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday, speaking aboard Air Force One on his return from Mar-a-Lago to the White House.
‘Rogue elements, not Hamas leadership,’ were responsible for the latest attack on Israel, Trump claimed. ‘We’ll handle it tough but fair. The ceasefire will hold.’
US Vice President JD Vance also spoke with reporters upon his return to Andrews Air Force Base after attending a 250th-anniversary event for the US Marines in San Diego. When asked about his potential upcoming visit to Israel, he replied, ‘Maybe. We’re trying to figure it out. Of course, we want to go and see how things are progressing.’
‘I think someone from the administration will definitely be there in the coming days. It might be me, but we’re still working out the logistics,’ he added.
When asked about his confidence that the ceasefire would hold, given the events of the past 24 hours, Vance said, ‘Look, it’s going to be complicated. Even in the best-case scenario, if this process leads to a sustainable, long-term peace, as the president and I hope, there will still be bumps along the way.’
‘There will be instances where Hamas fires on Israel, and Israel will of course respond,’ he continued. ‘There will be moments when it’s unclear who exactly is acting inside Gaza. But we believe this is the best chance for stable peace, and even if it succeeds, there will be ups and downs, and we’ll have to monitor it closely.’
Vance also cautioned that ‘there is currently no existing security infrastructure to guarantee Hamas’s disarmament.’
Reports of US officials visiting Israel
On Saturday, reports indicated that the vice president is expected to visit Israel next week for the first time since taking office. At the same time, US Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to return to the region for discussions on implementing the next stage of the agreement and facilitating the return of the remains of hostages still held by Hamas.
In May, Vance had reportedly considered visiting Israel but ultimately decided against it due to ongoing IDF operations in Gaza, according to a senior US official quoted by Walla.