Vance arrives in Israel as US tries to strengthen Gaza ceasefire deal

October 21, 2025

Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Israel to bolster the fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement, accompanied by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner who also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Their mission comes amid rising tensions following a violent incident where Israel reported a Hamas attack killed two soldiers, prompting Israeli airstrikes that killed dozens of Palestinians. The Trump administration is pushing to advance beyond the current ceasefire to the second phase of its 20-point Gaza peace plan, which would establish an interim Palestinian government, deploy international forces, withdraw Israeli troops, and disarm Hamas.

Who is affected

Palestinian civilians in Gaza, especially those killed in recent Israeli strikes
Israeli soldiers, including the two killed in the reported Hamas attack
Hostages and their families (both living and deceased)
Gaza's civilian population facing food insecurity and humanitarian challenges
Palestinians in Israeli jails who are being released in prisoner exchanges
Residents of northern Gaza facing "extremely dire" food situations

What action is being taken

US Vice-President JD Vance is visiting Israel to strengthen the ceasefire agreement
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are holding talks with Netanyahu
The World Food Programme is delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza (530 lorries with 6,700 tonnes of food)
Hamas is transferring bodies of deceased hostages to the Red Cross
Israel is conducting airstrikes in response to perceived ceasefire violations
Israeli forces are maintaining a security perimeter demarcated by the "Yellow Line"

Why it matters

The fragile ceasefire is providing a critical window for humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza's population
The agreement has facilitated the release of 20 living Israeli hostages and 13 deceased hostages' remains
Almost 500,000 people in Gaza are receiving two weeks' worth of food through current aid deliveries
The violence threatens to derail progress toward a permanent end to the conflict
The second phase of Trump's peace plan could establish long-term governance and security solutions
Continued fighting puts at risk the return of remaining hostages and prisoner exchanges

What's next

Negotiations may begin on the second phase of Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan
Hamas is working to recover and return remaining deceased hostages
Israel expects Hamas to return all deceased hostages before joining further peace talks
The US administration will continue diplomatic efforts to maintain the ceasefire
UN World Food Programme aims to increase daily aid deliveries to 2,000 tonnes

Read full article from source: BBC