Vice President JD Vance warned Hamas on Tuesday while speaking to reporters in southern Israel at the new Civil Military Cooperation Center (CMCC), which plays a crucial role in the historic ceasefire.
“The terms of the 20-point plan that the president put forward there are very clear. It is supported not only by Israel, but by all our Gulf Arab friends. It is that Hamas must disarm. It is that Hamas must actually behave and that although Hamas may be given some kind of leniency, Hamas will not be able to kill each other, nor will they be able to kill their fellow Palestinians,” said Vance.
“Right now, where I stand, I am confident that we will get to a place where this peace will last, where it will be sustainable, and if Hamas does not cooperate, as the United States has said, Hamas will be destroyed,” Vance added.
VANCE SAYS SOME DECEASED HOSTAGES MAY NEVER BE FOUND DESPITE TRUMP PEACE DEAL
President Donald Trump urged Hamas to take swift action with a US-brokered peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza. (Alex Wong/Getty Images; MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
The vice president’s warning came after President Donald Trump issued one of his own, saying that if Hamas did not act in accordance with the agreement, the terror organization’s end would be “fast, furious and brutal.”
During a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, Trump said Hamas would be wiped out if it did not adhere to the deal. The president has issued similar warnings since the peace deal came into effect last week.
In addition to his warning to Hamas, Vance scolded the media for their apparent “desire to advocate failure,” saying any setbacks or hiccups did not necessarily mean the end of the deal.
“Every time something bad happens and every time there’s an act of violence, there’s a tendency to say, ‘Oh, this is the end of the ceasefire. This is the end of the peace plan.’ It’s not the end. In fact, it’s exactly how this is going to have to happen when you have people who hate each other, who have been fighting against each other for a long time. We are doing very well. We are in a very good place,” Vance said before praising the team working to implement the Gaza deal.
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference after a military briefing at the Civil Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on October 21, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool via Reuters)
TRUMP THREATENS HAMAS IF GAZA STOCK INVADES WHEN JD VANCE VISITS ISRAEL
While Vance demanded that Hamas disarm in accordance with the deal, he declined to give the terrorist organization an exact deadline, something Trump has also failed to do.
“The president actually revealed a truth [Social] This morning I found that very educational. We know that Hamas has to stick to the deal, and if Hamas doesn’t stick to the deal, very bad things will happen. But I’m not going to do what the President of the United States has so far refused to do, which is put an explicit deadline on it, because a lot of these things are difficult. A lot of these things are unpredictable,” the vice president said.
The opening of the CMCC is an important milestone in the implementation of the historic deal. Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), attended the press conference.
“Two hundred American sons and daughters, wearing the clothes of the nation, have come forward and are serving here,” Cooper said. “I just couldn’t be more proud.”
Jared Kushner was also present at the press conference, where he spoke about Gaza’s reconstruction plans and efforts underway under the ceasefire. Kushner noted that there was “surprisingly strong coordination between the United Nations and Israel” in efforts to get aid to the Palestinians in the enclave.
Kushner also said progress is being made in recovering the remains of all deceased hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli hostages released under the Trump-brokered ceasefire met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. (The Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
ISRAEL CONFIRMS HOW HOSTAGE TAL HAIMI DIED, WITH 15 BODIES IN GAZA
Prior to Vance’s arrival in Israel, several hostages released as part of the historic deal brokered by the Trump administration met with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Kushner. Present at the meeting were Omri Miran, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kupershtein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen and Eitan Horn.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the former hostages thanked Witkoff and Kushner and expressed “deep gratitude to President Trump for making their freedom a top priority and working tirelessly to secure their release after more than two years in captivity.”
Speaking at the CMCC, Witkoff said the meeting was an “emotional moment” and that he felt “blessed to be in that room.”
“I didn’t see any victims in that room. I saw strong people who came out under very difficult circumstances. Their families are reunited and they are so grateful,” Witkoff said.
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference after a military briefing at the Civil Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on October 21, 2025. (Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
In his closing remarks, Vance expressed confidence in God’s providence and said he believed the job could be done.
“I know that Christians have many titles for Jesus Christ, and one of them is the Prince of Peace. And I would like to ask all people of faith, especially my fellow Christians, to pray that the Prince of Peace can continue to perform a miracle in this region of the world. I think we have made incredible progress in the last week. We have much more to make. But I think we will do it with your prayers, with God’s providence and with a very good team will come after me. done,” said Vans.
The vice president said that while in Israel, he hopes to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which Christians believe is the place where Jesus Christ was crucified.
