US Vice President J.D. Vance: The ceasefire in #Gaza will hold, but it won't be easy. The Gaza agreement is an opportunity to expand peace in the region.
Vice President Vance meets with Israeli President Herzog to discuss the next phase of the ceasefire agreement, saying he's "optimistic" that they can make peace stick. Video:
France’s government spokesperson says Hamas is “regaining control” of Gaza and “waging a crackdown against its opponents,” following today’s cabinet meeting; Paris urges moving to Phase 2 of the ceasefire with humanitarian, security, and governance priorities.
VP J.D. Vance in Tel Aviv: “We have a very, very tough task ahead of us… to disarm Hamas, rebuild Gaza… and ensure Hamas is no longer a threat to Israel.”
Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad visited Israel on Tuesday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid negotiations on the future phases of the Gaza ceasefire deal and the implementation of it.
WSJ: After Trump’s warnings, Hamas told mediators it will halt public executions of rival clan/gang members—after being told such acts could give Israel a pretext to resume fighting.
An Israeli military official says Hamas still has 10–20K fighters in Gaza after an estimated ~20K were killed; Israel also claims ~90% of Hamas’s rockets have been destroyed.
Hebrew media: After talks in Jerusalem with Egypt’s intel chief Hassan Rashad, Netanyahu rejected (1) any Turkish deployment/role in Gaza and (2) PA-trained forces deploying there; longstanding “day after” line remains that Hamas cannot remain.
Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich: "If Saudi Arabia is telling us that in return for normalization they want a Palestinian state - we will say: Friends, no thank you, you can continue riding camels on the sand in the Saudi desert" Video:
Trump opposes Israeli sovereignty moves in Judea & Samaria, saying he gave his word to Arab states—and warns Israel would “lose all U.S. support” if annexation happens.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: “My statement about Saudi Arabia was not successful and I regret the offense it caused. At the same time, I expect the Saudis not to harm us, not to deny the Jewish people’s heritage and rights in Judea & Samaria, and to work toward real peace.”
Israel Hayom: The U.S. has accepted Israel’s position that no Turkish troops will deploy in Gaza; Indonesia and Azerbaijan would form the core of a stabilization force.
) Gaza ceasefire/hostage framework:
State Dept readout: Rubio met Netanyahu—top priority is implementing the Gaza ceasefire/hostage framework, with concrete next steps reviewed.
) Hostages & remains:
Readout: The sides coordinated on releasing all remaining hostages and returning bodies/remains as part of the deal.
) West Bank legislation:
Readout: The U.S. raised concerns that moves to apply Israeli law in the West Bank could jeopardize progress on the Gaza track.
) Humanitarian access:
Readout: Discussion on facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza while meeting Israel’s security requirements.
) Regional coordination:
Readout: Ongoing work with Egypt, Qatar, Jordan and European partners to keep the ceasefire and stabilization tracks aligned.
) Iran & deterrence / QME
Readout:
Focus on countering Iranian-backed threats (incl. Hezbollah) and maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge.
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