US Vice President Vance Affirms Partnership with Israel Amid Gaza Ceasefire Challenges

Vice President JD Vance emphasized that U.S. visits to Israel, including his recent trip following President Donald Trump's, are intended to support the fragile Gaza ceasefire as partners rather than to oversee or control Israel. Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vance underscored that Israel is not a vassal or client state but a sovereign partner in the peace process. The U.S. has deployed several high-level officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, to maintain the ceasefire and facilitate the next steps of the peace plan, which remains challenging amid ongoing violence. While Trump proposed an international stabilization force in Gaza as part of his 20-point peace plan, Vance noted that its planning is in early stages and highlighted Israel's right to make its own security decisions without U.S. interference. Both leaders expressed optimism about the ceasefire holding and a potential better future in the Middle East, though they acknowledged the difficulties ahead. The U.S. role is framed as supportive monitoring rather than controlling, aimed at ensuring all parties fulfill their commitments to the ceasefire agreement.