On a Wednesday in Jerusalem, Vice President JD Vance stood beside Benjamin Netanyahu and insisted the Gaza ceasefire would hold, while conceding that holding it would take hard, patient labour. The moment reflects a familiar pattern in long conflicts: a truce brokered in triumph must now survive the daily friction of violence, suspicion and competing readings of who broke faith. Washington, anxious that a fresh round of fighting could unravel the deal, has sent a procession of envoys to keep Israel from returning to full war, even as it presents a public front of unity.
Vance in Israel: Gaza ceasefire 'will hold,' but 'it's not easy' as US presses Netanyahu
Israel reports two soldiers killed in Hamas attacks; Gaza's Hamas-run authorities say around 100 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes and shooting since the previous week.
"I never said it was easy," Vance said, with Netanyahu beside him
Mark
Vance said the ceasefire will hold but it's not easy. Why does that phrasing matter?
Mimi
Because it's an admission delivered next to Netanyahu. He's optimistic, but he's saying openly that the work isn't finished.
Mark
He also said he wasn't there to babysit. Why bring that up?
Mimi
Three senior figures, Vance, Witkoff and Kushner, are in Israel, and Rubio follows on Thursday. That looks like supervision, and he wanted to describe it as management instead.
Luke
Worth noting the worry that Netanyahu might abandon the deal comes from The New York Times, not from an on-record statement. It's attributed, not confirmed by officials here.
Mark
And the violence numbers?
Mimi
Two Israeli soldiers killed, per Israel, and around 100 Palestinians killed, per Gaza's Hamas-run authorities.
Luke
Right, and each figure is one side's claim. Nothing in this reporting independently verifies either, or says who started which clash.
Mark
Trump called it a rebellion within Hamas. Does that change anything?
Mimi
It gives him a reason not to blame Hamas leadership, which keeps the deal alive. But he also said Israel could eradicate the group if it breaks the deal.
Luke
And the fringe-element claim comes from an unnamed White House official, so we don't know what it rests on. Whether Netanyahu accepts it is also unknown.
El Pulso
- Vance tells reporters the Gaza ceasefire will hold but admits it is anything but easy, as US officials privately fear Netanyahu could walk away from the deal.
- Recent clashes have left two Israeli soldiers dead and around 100 Palestinians killed, according to the two sides' own tallies, sharpening fears of a return to full war.
- Vance, Witkoff and Kushner are working to talk Netanyahu out of a full-scale assault, while the White House frames the fighting as a rogue faction's doing rather than Hamas leadership's.
- Trump warns that if Hamas breaks the agreement he would let Israel eradicate the group, and Secretary of State Rubio arrives Thursday to continue the effort.
- The next days will decide whether Washington's restraint holds or the truce tips into another offensive.
On a Wednesday in Jerusalem, Vice President JD Vance stood beside Benjamin Netanyahu and insisted the Gaza ceasefire would hold, while conceding that holding it would take hard, patient labour. The moment reflects a familiar pattern in long conflicts: a truce brokered in triumph must now survive the daily friction of violence, suspicion and competing readings of who broke faith. Washington, anxious that a fresh round of fighting could unravel the deal, has sent a procession of envoys to keep Israel from returning to full war, even as it presents a public front of unity.
On Wednesday in Jerusalem, Vice President JD Vance stood beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told reporters that the Gaza ceasefire would hold. He quickly added that it would not come easily. "I never said it was easy," he said, adding that building on the truce would take a lot of work.
Vance arrived the day before, alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to press Netanyahu to stay committed to the deal with Hamas that President Donald Trump brokered. Publicly, the administration projects unity with Israel. Privately, according to reporting, Washington worries Netanyahu could abandon the agreement and return to war.
Since last week, Israel and Hamas have clashed several times. Israel says two of its soldiers were killed in Hamas attacks. Gaza's Hamas-run authorities say around 100 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes and shooting. Those figures come from the parties themselves, and fears are growing that the violence could become a pretext for full-scale war.
The White House reads the fighting differently. Trump believes Hamas leaders are negotiating in good faith and that the attack on Israeli soldiers was the work of a fringe element. He called the violence a "rebellion" the leadership had not approved, but warned that if Hamas breaks the deal, he would let Israel "eradicate" the group.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel Thursday. Whether his visit and the ongoing talks hold Israel back from a major offensive, and whether Trump follows through on his warning, will determine what comes next.
On Wednesday in Jerusalem, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing next to him, Vice President JD Vance told reporters that the Gaza ceasefire will hold, and then admitted it would not come easily. "I never said it was easy," he said, adding that he was optimistic about the truce and about building a better future across the Middle East, though that, in his words, required some work.
Vance had landed in Israel the day before. He joined Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, in a push to keep Netanyahu committed to the deal with Hamas that Trump brokered. Publicly, Trump has projected unity with Israel. Behind the scenes, the source reporting describes concern that Netanyahu could walk away from the agreement and resume the war.
Vance appeared to want to play down the procession of senior American officials. Asked about the visits, he rejected the idea that he had come to babysit the ceasefire. Monitoring it, he said, is not like watching a toddler. It is a matter of a lot of work done by a lot of good people, and of administration principals making sure those people do what is needed.
The visits are not ending. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Thursday to join the discussions aimed at keeping the agreement alive.
The worry in Washington, according to The New York Times, is real despite the show of solidarity. Since last week, Israel and Hamas have clashed several times. Israel says two of its soldiers were killed in Hamas attacks. Gaza's Hamas-run authorities say around 100 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes and shooting. Those figures come from the two sides themselves, and there are fears that Netanyahu could cite the violence as a pretext to return to full war.
The Times reported that the current American strategy is for Vance, Witkoff and Kushner to talk Netanyahu out of launching a full-scale assault on Hamas.
The White House reads the recent fighting differently than Israel does. A White House official told the Times that Trump believes Hamas leaders are negotiating in good faith, and that the attack on Israeli soldiers, apparently the one in which Israel says two soldiers died, was the work of a fringe element inside the group. Trump has echoed that view and softened Israel's recent accusations against Hamas. On Monday he called the fighting a "rebellion" within Hamas that its leadership had not approved, and said some of its people "got very rambunctious."
He also attached a warning. If Hamas breaks the deal, Trump said, he would allow Israel to "eradicate" the group.
What to watch next is whether Rubio's arrival on Thursday and the continuing talks hold Israel back from a large offensive, and whether Trump acts on his warning to Hamas if the truce keeps fraying.
Citas Notables
It's not easy. I never said it was easy. But what I am is optimistic that the ceasefire is going to hold.— JD Vance, Vice President
Trump described the fighting as a 'rebellion' within Hamas and said Israel could 'eradicate' the group if it broke the deal.— Donald Trump, as reported on Monday
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Politics & Governance