US Vice President JD Vance (Shutterstock)
Vice President JD Vance reportedly planning to visit Israel this week as part of Trump administration push for both sides to agree to implement second phase of the Gaza peace plan and permanently end the war.
By World Israel News Staff
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to visit Israel for a multi-day visit this week, Axios reported over the weekend, as the Trump administration pushes for Israel and Hamas to agree to the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza peace plan.
According to the report, published early Sunday morning, four Israeli officials and one American official with knowledge of Vance’s travel plans said the vice president will arrive in Israel Tuesday and likely remain until Thursday.
On Friday, US officials told Axios that White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff would be traveling to the region Sunday.
However, hours later, the White House altered its plans, telling the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office that Vance would lead the delegation. On Saturday, the Trump administration informed Israel that the delegation would arrive on Tuesday rather than on Sunday.
The upgrading of the delegation, with the vice president heading the trip rather than a special envoy, signaled to Israel that the Trump administration wants to complete the implementation of the second phase of the peace deal as soon as possible, Israeli officials said.
Witkoff is also expected to visit Israel this week, along with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser Jared Kushner, highlighting the importance to the Trump White House of ensuring that the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas will culminate in the permanent end of the Gaza war rather than merely another limited truce.
The report comes amid accusations that Hamas has violated the ceasefire deal both by failing to return the bodies of all 28 slain hostages – as required under the agreement – and by systematically killing members of rival Gazan clans since the truce began on October 10.
On Sunday, Hamas terrorists launched multiple attacks on Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, including a missile attack on an IDF armored personnel carrier in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Israeli air and naval forces opened fire on the terrorists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense chief held an emergency telephone conference to weigh Israel’s response.
Proposed coalition would also need Shas support, despite its endorsement of Netanyahu.
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