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Vice President JD Vance issued a warning to Hamas on Tuesday while speaking to reporters at the new Civilian Military Cooperation Center (CMCC), which plays a critical role in the historic ceasefire deal.
“The terms of the 20 point plan that the president put out there is very clear. It’s supported not just by Israel, by, but by all of our Gulf Arab friends. It’s that Hamas has to disarm. It’s that Hamas has to actually behave itself and that Hamas, while all the fighters can be given some sort of clemency, they’re not going to be able to kill each other, and they’re not going to be able to kill their fellow Palestinians,” Vance said.
“Right now, where I stand, I feel confident that we’re going to be in a place where this peace lasts, where it’s durable, and if Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then, as the United States has said, Hamas is going to be obliterated,” Vance added.
President Donald Trump urged Hamas to move quickly on a U.S.-brokered peace proposal aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. (Alex Wong/Getty Images; MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
The vice president’s warning came after President Donald Trump issued one of his own, saying that if Hamas did not act in accordance with the agreement, the terror organization’s end would be “fast, furious and brutal.”
During a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, Trump said that Hamas would be eradicated if it did not hold up its end of the deal. The president issued similar warnings since the peace deal went into effect last week.
In addition to his warning to Hamas, Vance scolded the media over its apparent “desire to root for failure,” saying that any setbacks or hiccups did not necessarily mean the end of the deal.
“Every time something bad happens and every time that there’s an act of violence, there’s this inclination to say, ‘oh, this is the end of the ceasefire. This is the end of the peace plan.’ It’s not the end. It is, in fact, exactly how this is going to have to happen when you have people who hate each other, who have been fighting against each other for a very long time. We are doing very well. We are in a very good place,” Vance said before praising the team working to implement the Gaza deal.
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the Civilian Military Coordination Center in southern Israel Oct. 21, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool via Reuters)
While Vance demanded Hamas disarm in accordance with the deal, he refused to give the terrorist organization an exact deadline, something Trump has not done either.
“The president actually put out a truth this morning that I thought was very instructive. We know that Hamas has to comply with the deal, and if Hamas doesn’t comply with the deal, very bad things are going to happen. But I’m not going to do what the president United States has thus far refused to do, which is put an explicit deadline on it, because a lot of this stuff is difficult. A lot of this stuff is unpredictable,” the vice president said.
The opening of the CMCC is a major milestone in the implementation of the historic deal. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, attended the news conference and said “200 of America’s sons and daughters, who wear the cloth of the nation, have stepped up and are serving here. I just couldn’t be prouder.”
Jared Kushner was also in attendance at the news conference where he spoke about plans for Gaza reconstruction and the efforts currently underway in the ceasefire deal. Kushner noted that there was “surprisingly strong coordination between the United Nations and Israel” on efforts to get aid to Palestinians in the enclave.
Kushner also said that progress was being made towards getting back the remains of all deceased hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Prior to Vance’s arrival in Israel, several hostages who were freed as part of the historic deal brokered by the Trump administration met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Kushner. The meeting included Omri Miran, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kupershtein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen and Eitan Horn.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the former hostages thanked Witkoff and Kushner and expressed “profound gratitude to President Trump for making their freedom a top priority and working tirelessly to ensure their release after more than two years in captivity.”
When speaking at the CMCC, Witkoff said the meeting was an “emotional moment” and that he felt “blessed to be in that room.”
“I didn’t see any victims in that room. I saw strong people who have come out under very difficult circumstances. Their families are reunited, and they are so grateful,” Witkoff said.
In his closing remarks, Vance expressed his trust in God’s providence and said he believed the job could be done.
“I know that Christians have many titles for Jesus Christ, and one of them is the Prince of Peace. And I’d ask all people of faith, in particular my fellow Christians, to pray that the Prince of Peace can continue to work a miracle in this region of the world. I think that we have made incredible strides over the past week. We’re going to have to make a lot more. But I think with your prayers, with God’s providence and with a very good team behind me, I think we’re gonna get it done,” Vance said.
The vice president said that while in Israel, he hopes to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians believe is the site where Jesus Christ was crucified.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
