United States Vice President, JD Vance has warned of the tough task ahead in disarming Hamas and building a peaceful future for Gaza, as Washington sought to reassure its ally Israel over the next steps in its ambitious ceasefire deal.
Recall that Vance met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of a trip to Israel, part of a diplomatic blitz in support of the US-brokered plan to end the fighting, recover hostages and, eventually, rebuild the devastated Palestinian territory.
Meanwhile, Vance had kicked off the three-day visit by opening the Civil-Military Coordination Centre in Southwest Israel, where us and allied troops will work with Israeli forces to monitor the truce and to oversee aid to Gaza.