US vice president claims Gaza ceasefire holding despite Israeli violations
JD Vance says "little skirmishes here and there" are to be expected after Israel violates the ceasefire again.
US Vice President JD Vance has claimed ceasefire in besieged Gaza is "holding," as Israel conducted air strikes on the Palestinian enclave, violating the deal.
"The president achieved a historic peace in the Middle East, the ceasefire is holding. That doesn't mean that there aren't going to be little skirmishes here and there," Vance told Fox News on Tuesday.
He claimed that Hamas or another group in Gaza recently attacked an Israeli soldier, and "we expect the Israelis are going to respond — but I think the president's peace is going to hold."
Vance was one of several top US officials to rush to Israel last week to shore up the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas that President Donald Trump brokered earlier this month.
US President Donald Trump himself visited Israel and Egypt on October 13, taking a victory lap and declaring that "at long last, we have peace in the Middle East."
Orders to violate ceasefire
The Israeli army launched a series of strikes across Gaza on Tuesday following orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to immediately carry out forceful strikes," who accused Hamas of violating the truce, without providing evidence.
Israel killed at least nine Palestinians and wounded others in the air strikes.
The ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since October 10 under Trump's 20-point plan, which includes the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and rebuilding of the enclave.
Israel has killed nearly 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and wounded over 170,500 others in Gaza since October 2023.
It has reduced most of the enclave to ruins and practically displaced all of the population.