Tough task ahead in disarming Hamas: Vance

FE Team | Published: October 22, 2025 23:38:19

JERUSALEM, Oct 22 (AFP): US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday cautioned there were challenges ahead both in terms of disarming Hamas and rebuild Gaza as part of a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant movement.
"We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza, to make life better for the people of Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel," Vance said during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Earlier report adds: JD Vance declared Tuesday he was confident about a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, but added there was "a lot of work left to do", as he opened a military coordination centre in Israel.
"What we've seen the past week gives me great optimism the ceasefire is going to hold," he said during a press conference in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, where US and Israel staff are setting up a Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC).
"There are going to be moments where it looks like things aren't going particularly well... It's going to require constant effort, constant monitoring and supervision."
On Sunday, a resumption in deadly fighting between Hamas and Israel following the killing of two Israeli soldiers showed the frailty of the ceasefire that entered into force on October 10.
Israel returns 30 Palestinian
bodies to Gaza
Israel returned the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza on Wednesday, bringing the total number handed over under the ceasefire deal to 195, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said.
Under the deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.
Israel's military said Wednesday that the remains of two more hostages returned the day before from Gaza had been identified as those of Aryeh Zalmanovich and Master Sergeant Tamir Adar.