Vance says he is uncertain about Gaza’s situation
(MENAFN) US Vice President J.D. Vance admitted on Tuesday that he does not know who will ultimately govern Gaza, highlighting uncertainty over the enclave’s political future amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Vance made the comments while visiting a newly established coordination center in Israel, accompanied by President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. He described the ceasefire progress as “better” than anticipated and expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for a lasting resolution to the two-year conflict.
Asked who would govern Gaza, Vance said, “I don’t know the answer to that question.” He added, “We need to reconstruct Gaza and make sure both the Palestinians living there and the Israelis can have some measure of security and stability… Then we’ll worry about what the long-term governance of Gaza is.”
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in early October under Trump’s 20-point peace plan. However, violence briefly resumed on Sunday when a Palestinian attack killed two Israeli soldiers, prompting Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 28 people in Gaza. Both sides later reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire.
Vance downplayed suggestions that his visit was hastily arranged to preserve the truce, stating he felt “confident that we’re going to be in a place where this peace lasts.” He warned, however, that Hamas would face severe consequences if it failed to cooperate, saying it would be “obliterated.”
Trump has threatened to send “heavy force” into Gaza if Hamas “continues to act badly,” emphasizing that the group would be “eradicated” if it violated the terms of the deal. Under the plan, Hamas is expected to disarm and relinquish control of the enclave, though it is temporarily acting as a security force there.
Since winning elections in Gaza in 2006, Hamas has clashed with the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the West Bank. Although the PA has historically viewed Hamas as illegitimate, opinion polls at the time indicated that Hamas enjoyed majority support. No elections have been held in the Palestinian territories since then.
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