Vance visits Israel as Trump administration officials worry ceasefire could fall apart

Vice President JD Vance’s arrival in Israel on Tuesday comes as some Trump administration officials are concerned that the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could fall apart, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Vance’s presence in the region is meant, at least in part, to ensure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains committed to the US-negotiated deal as some Trump administration officials worry he could work to thwart it.

One US official characterized it as “Bibisitting.” Another framed it as a “show of force from the highest-ranking person after the president himself” to make the administration’s view clear that the ceasefire needs to be durable enough to “outlast inevitable skirmishes.”

The sources added that the general belief among US officials involved in the negotiations is that the truce is most threatened in the short term, which is why the trip needed to happen so soon after Trump’s visit just last week.

The concerns reached new heights after Israel accused Hamas of carrying out an attack over the weekend that killed two IDF soldiers. Israel responded with waves of airstrikes that killed dozens of people in Gaza.

US officials worked to minimize the fallout of the strikes and ensure the ceasefire was not threatened, the sources said. And while Israel and Hamas each accused the other of violating the deal, both sides ultimately reaffirmed their commitment to the truce.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, the key US architects of the deal, are also in Israel this week as the administration begins to work on the longer-term goals of the president’s 20-point peace plan for the region.

While there, Witkoff told Israel the country’s response to violence from Hamas needs to be proportionate to the violation, according to an Israeli source familiar with the matter. Witkoff also emphasized that the next 30 days are crucial for the deal to hold and for talks to enter the second phase, the source said.

The Israelis, meanwhile, are ramping up pressure on the US to demilitarize Hamas before talks move on to the reconstruction phase, an Israeli official said.

Vance, who met with Witkoff and Kushner upon arrival, is set to hold a news conference around 11 a.m. ET Tuesday.

All of this comes as Trump himself has argued both privately and publicly that Sunday’s attack on IDF soldiers wasn’t the work of Hamas leaders but part of a “rebellion.” He has said that some members of Hamas “got very rambunctious,” but he believes the group is still committed to the truce and negotiations, the sources said.

Trump did, however, threaten to have the group “eradicated” if ultimately necessary.

The president wrote on social media Tuesday that “great allies” in and around the Middle East would “welcome the opportunity” to enter Gaza and “straighten [out] Hamas” if they continue to “act badly.”

Trump said he told these unspecified countries “not yet,” as “there is still hope that Hamas will do what is right.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.