JD Vance Reportedly Decided Against Going To Israel To Not Appear To Endorse Expanded Gaza Operation

Vice President JD Vance reportedly decided against visiting Israel this week to not give the appearance that the U.S. government was supporting the country's expanded operations inside the Gaza strip.

Axios detailed on Monday that Vance made the decision, officially described as resulting from "logistical" reasons, as the Trump administration pushes both Israel and Hamas to accept a ceasefire and hostage deal.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began mobilizing a significant amount of troops into Gaza on Friday as part of operation "Gideon's Chariots," which seeks to exert complete control of the enclave and displace most all 2 million Palestinians to a so-called humanitarian zone while flattening the rest. Forces began operating on Sunday.

President Donald Trump again suggested last week that the U.S. should take over Gaza, saying the enclave could be turned into a "freedom zone." Special envoy Steve Witkoff keeps pushing for a deal in the meantime, giving last week an updated proposal to both parties.

The deal in question includes the release of 10 hostages in return for a ceasefire of up to two months and the release of Palestinian prisoners, the outlet reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the proposal. However, the key difference is that the proposal's language makes it clear that the deal would be the first step towards ending the war for good.

Concretely, it gives Hamas guarantees that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won't be able to break the ceasefire unilaterally, as it happened in March. Axios said Netanyahu answered positively to the agreement but with several reservations. Hamas has not given one.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will resume the entry of humanitarian aid to the enclave after more than two months, following intense pressure from the U.S. and the international community. Hamas urged for the entry of at least 500 aid trucks and 50 fuel trucks a day, saying that "signs of famine and humanitarian collapse are worsening at a terrifying rate."