Vance: Very bad things will happen if Hamas violates ceasefire deal

US Vice President JD Vance sought to project confidence in the stability of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire during his visit to Israel on October 21, even as some Trump administration officials privately expressed doubts about the agreement’s durability, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.

At a news conference, Vance said that developments over the past week made him “very optimistic” the ceasefire would hold. “Can I say with 100% certainty that it’s going to work? No,” he added, acknowledging that uncertainties remained.

The vice president refrained from setting specific deadlines for either the return of all Israeli hostage remains or Hamas’ disarmament, saying both would “take a little bit of time.” He emphasised the need to establish stable security and humanitarian mechanisms in Gaza before moving forward.

“If Hamas doesn’t comply with the deal, very bad things are going to happen,” Vance warned, though he refused to impose a timeline, arguing that “a lot of this stuff is difficult” and should not be rushed.

According to CNN’s sources, one of the key purposes of Vance’s visit was to ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stays aligned with the US-brokered ceasefire, amid internal US concerns that he might seek to undermine it.

One American official jokingly described Vance’s mission as “Bibisitting,” while another called it a “show of force from the highest-ranking official after the president himself,” meant to signal that Washington expects the truce to endure “beyond inevitable skirmishes.”

Officials involved in the peace talks reportedly believe the ceasefire is at its most fragile in the short term, prompting Vance’s swift trip to Israel — just a week after President Trump’s own visit.

The unease within Washington deepened over the weekend when Israel accused Hamas of staging an attack that killed two Israeli Defence Forces soldiers. Israel retaliated with multiple airstrikes, which left dozens dead in Gaza.

US officials worked behind the scenes to contain the fallout and prevent the escalation from derailing the ceasefire. Despite both sides trading accusations of violations, Israel and Hamas ultimately reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the truce.

Speaking on Tuesday, Vance said preserving the agreement would require “constant effort” to mediate disputes as they arise, insisting that his trip was “not related to events of the past 48 hours.”

Joining Vance at the briefing were Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who both played central roles in negotiating the ceasefire deal. The two are in Israel this week to begin advancing the broader objectives of Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the region.

An Israeli source told CNN that Witkoff urged Israel to ensure any retaliation against Hamas was proportionate to the violations committed. He also stressed that the coming 30 days would be crucial to maintaining the ceasefire and preparing for the next phase of talks.

At the same time, Israeli officials have been pressing Washington to prioritise Hamas’ demilitarisation before moving on to discussions about Gaza’s reconstruction.

Meanwhile, President Trump has maintained that the recent attack on Israeli soldiers was not ordered by Hamas leadership but represented a localised “rebellion.” According to sources, Trump told aides that some Hamas members had become “very rambunctious,” yet he still viewed the group as generally committed to the ceasefire and ongoing negotiations.

However, Trump also warned that Hamas could face annihilation if it failed to uphold its commitments.

In a social media post on October 21, the president wrote that “great allies” in the Middle East would “welcome the opportunity” to enter Gaza and “straighten [out] Hamas” if the group continued to “act badly.” He added that he had advised those countries to wait, expressing hope that “Hamas will do what is right.”

By Tamilla Hasanova