The White House is working to sustain the Gaza cease-fire as President Trump warns Hamas to honor the deal and Vice President JD Vance travels to Israel to prevent Prime Minister Netanyahu from abandoning the fragile peace agreement.
The White House on Monday intensified efforts to preserve the fragile U.S.-brokered Gaza cease-fire amid growing fears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could abandon the agreement and resume full-scale military operations against Hamas.
Vice President JD Vance departed for Israel to reinforce U.S. commitment to the deal alongside Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Their mission, according to officials, is to prevent Netanyahu from reigniting the two-year conflict and stabilize the truce, which has shown signs of strain after renewed violence on Sunday.
President Donald Trump, however, warned that the United States would support Israel’s right to “eradicate” Hamas if hostilities persist. “We made a deal with Hamas that they’re going to behave,” Trump said. “If they’re not, we’re going to eradicate them if we have to.”
Despite mutual accusations of cease-fire violations, both Israel and Hamas maintain they are committed to the truce.
Administration officials said ongoing negotiations in Cairo, led by Arab mediators, aim to solidify the peace terms and begin steps toward Hamas’s demilitarization.
Vance acknowledged the path forward will involve “fits and starts,” emphasizing that full stability would require broader regional cooperation.