U.S. Vice President JD Vance, speaking at a news conference in southern Israel, addressed questions regarding the timing of his visit and the future governance of Gaza.

 

 

 

 

 

When asked if his trip was a reaction to the killing of two soldiers in the Gaza Strip, Vance firmly replied that his visit had “nothing to do with events of the past 48 hours.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

He explained that the trip had been planned months ago, and the timing simply “ended up working out.”

 

 

 

 

 

The purpose of his travel, he emphasized, was to “check in on things” and talk to the troops coordinating the “massive relief effort” in the region.

 

 

 

 

Vance added that he would try to help the troops now stationed in the region, after hearing their concerns on his trip.

 

 

 

 

 

The US Vice President then faced a critical question about the feasibility of establishing a government structure in Gaza that excludes strong Palestinian voices, given the reaction to the ceasefire so far.

 

 

 

 

 

Vance admitted that he did not know the answer to the ultimate question of what authority in Gaza looks like. Instead, he praised the current effort for creating a governance structure that is “very flexible” to future events on the ground. He stressed that the immediate focus must be on practical steps:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We need to reconstitute Gaza. We need to reconstruct Gaza.” He concluded by prioritizing security and stability, stating, “We need to make sure that both the Palestinians living in Gaza, but also the Israelis, are able to live in some measure of security and stability.”

 

 

 

 

Only once they have reached a point of security and stability will they “worry about what the long-term governance of Gaza is,” urging officials to first “focus on security, rebuilding, giving people some food and medicine.”