Vance Reassures Israel on Annexation, Backs Ceasefire

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance visited Israel this week to support the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire that began Oct. 10, meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defense and military leaders and relatives of hostages. He toured a civilian-military cooperation center and the IDF’s Kirya and held or planned talks with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on Gaza security and implementation of the truce. Vance and other U.S. envoys expressed guarded optimism that the ceasefire is progressing better than expected but warned that disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza will be difficult and hinge on Hamas’s cooperation. He sought to reassure Israeli officials that Washington wants a partnership rather than dictating terms and said Israel would not annex the West Bank despite recent parliamentary moves that raised annexation concerns. Critics in Israel remain worried that U.S. involvement is shaping post-war policy, and open questions about an international security force, disarmament mechanisms and high wartime casualties leave the ceasefire’s long-term durability uncertain.