Gaza ceasefire progressing better than expected: JD Vance
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US Vice President JD Vance says the Gaza peace deal is progressing well, with "Israel" to decide troop roles and an international force in planning.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance speak to the media as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff looks on, in Kiryat Gat, Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (AP)
US Vice President JD Vance stated on Tuesday that, contrary to his initial expectations, the implementation of the Gaza peace deal was progressing more successfully.
"I think that we are one week into President Trump's historic peace plan in the Middle East, and things are going, frankly, better than I expected that they were,” Vance stated during a press conference in "Israel".
Additionally, JD Vance affirmed that it is "Israel's" prerogative to determine the composition of troops on the ground for monitoring the implementation of the Gaza peace deal, with the assurance that no external demands would be imposed.
“First of all, what troops are on the ground that Israel is going to be a question the Israelis have to agree to. And I'm sure that Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu will have opinions about that,” the US vice-president stated during the same press conference.
He added that the United States will not force "Israel" on the matter of foreign troops on what he called its soil.
Vance noted that the work is currently underway to determine the organization of the so-called international security force (ISF) that will be deployed in the Gaza Strip to "monitor the peace deal". "We are in the phase now where we are actually starting to conceptualize what that international security force would look like," he stated.
He also described the ISF as a vital part of maintaining regional stability, simultaneously reaffirming the White House's position that no US troops will be deployed within the contingent, emphasizing that "We do not yet have the international security force set up. That is something we are working towards. We have a number of volunteers who want to participate in that international security force."
Regarding the question of who will preside over Gaza, US Vice President JD Vance stated that the matter is still uncertain, telling reporters, "I do not know the answer to that question."
