“There is no security infrastructure currently that would ensure Hamas is disarmed,” he said.
By Catholics for Catholics
Vice President JD Vance is on his way to Israel with a mission: to advance the second phase of the ceasefire between that country and Hamas, as both sides hover on a terrain of reignited violence by the terror group.
Despite a historic peace agreement that included several countries and international observers, violence has resurfaced in Gaza. Israel is accusing Hamas of breaking the armistice.
In one incident, Hamas militants showed up out of a tunnel in Israeli-controlled territory in Gaza and killed two Israeli soldiers during an anti-tank rocket attack on Sunday. The Israeli military countered by launching approximately 20 airstrikes across Gaza, according to Axios.
According to The Daily Wire, Hamas did not deny the attack, though it said that it was carried out by a faction of militants that were not acting on orders from Hamas leadership.
MIDDLE EAST MISSION: VP JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance depart for Israel as part of the administration’s efforts to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal. pic.twitter.com/v9fdr3Sh8h
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 20, 2025
“We are not aware of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, because these are zones under Israeli control, and contact has been severed with our groups that remained there,” Hamas said in a statement, according to Axios.
The recent actions of Hamas militants have already jeopardized the already shaky ceasefire in place between the terror group and Israel. Vance is expected to visit Israel with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to arrange for a more direct oversight of the terms of the peace agreement.
One major point of tension in the peace process is the requirement that Hamas be disarmed. “There is no security infrastructure currently that would ensure Hamas is disarmed,” Vance said on Sunday evening.
Beside the recent attack, Hamas continues to be in violation of phase one of the ceasefire deal by not returning all the bodies of the deceased hostages. About half of the dead are still in Gaza, and the terror group has said it needs more time to trace them.
In recent days, the United States and Israel have made separate accusations against the terror group, saying that Hamas is violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement that saw Israel withdraw from roughly half of Gaza and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that the “United States has informed the guarantor nations of the Gaza peace agreement of credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza.”
Save and Share This Catholic Patriotic Minute!
