October 12, 2025 – In a landmark development that has reverberated across the globe, U.S. Vice President JD Vance affirmed on Sunday that the United States played a pivotal role in forging a new ceasefire agreement for Gaza, yet Washington harbors no intentions of committing American ground forces to the volatile region. Speaking in high-profile interviews with NBC and ABC News, Vance underscored the Trump administration's commitment to diplomatic resolution without direct military entanglement, emphasizing the contributions of regional allies and the robust oversight capabilities of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
"We're not planning to put boots on the ground," Vance stated emphatically during the NBC broadcast, which aired late Sunday evening. This declaration applies unequivocally to both Gaza and Israel, he clarified, dispelling speculation that had swirled in international media circles following the announcement of the deal's first phase earlier in the week. "What we already have is a U.S. Central Command," Vance continued, highlighting CENTCOM's expansive jurisdiction over the Middle East. "They are going to monitor the terms of the ceasefire... (and) ensure that the humanitarian aid is flowing."
The vice president's remarks come at a critical juncture, as the fragile truce—brokered under the auspices of President Donald Trump's ambitious 20-point peace framework—enters its third day. Unveiled last month during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the plan has elicited widespread acclaim from Arab and Muslim nations, even as thorny details regarding implementation linger. Vance noted that "many majority-Muslim countries had offered to send troops to the region to secure Gaza and that American troops would not be needed," pointing to a multinational security force as the linchpin for post-ceasefire stability.
Expressing cautious optimism, Vance described the agreement as a potential "end to the war in Gaza," but cautioned that "we are going to have to do a lot of work to make sure that it stays ended." This sentiment echoes the guarded hope permeating the international community, where analysts warn that violations could unravel the progress achieved after nearly two years of unrelenting conflict. The war, ignited by Hamas's October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel that claimed 1,139 lives and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages, has exacted an unimaginable toll on Gaza's 2.1 million residents.
The Path to Ceasefire: Trump's 20-Point Vision Takes Shape
The genesis of this breakthrough traces back to September 29, 2025, when President Trump, flanked by Netanyahu in the Oval Office, outlined his comprehensive 20-point proposal to conclude the Gaza war. Dubbed "A Plan for Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace," the framework was the product of exhaustive consultations with Gulf Arab states, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and other Muslim-majority nations, marking a departure from traditional U.S. diplomatic silos. At its core, the plan mandates an immediate cessation of hostilities, the unconditional release of all remaining Israeli hostages—estimated at 48, including 20 believed alive—in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and a phased Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Phase one, now underway, stipulates Israel's pullback from 70% of Gaza within 24 hours of agreement, allowing displaced Palestinians to return northward while Hamas facilitates hostage handovers over 72 hours. In return, Israel has committed to releasing 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 detainees captured since October 2023, including all women and children among them. Humanitarian corridors, including the Rafah crossing, would reopen immediately, with the United Nations and Red Crescent spearheading aid distribution free from interference by either party.
Subsequent phases envision a seismic shift in Gaza's governance: the dismantlement of Hamas's military apparatus, the installation of a technocratic Palestinian administration devoid of Islamist influence, and the infusion of Arab-Islamic funding for reconstruction. A supervisory "Board of Peace," chaired by Trump and featuring former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, would oversee redevelopment, drawing on international standards to foster economic revitalization. Long-term, the plan dangles the prospect of Palestinian self-determination, contingent on reforms within the Palestinian Authority (PA) and a broader Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
Hamas's acquiescence to phase one—announced on October 8 after indirect talks in Egypt mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey—represented a stunning reversal. A senior Hamas official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, cited "sustained Israeli pressure" and Trump's "unwavering resolve" as catalysts, though the group insisted on guarantees for a full Israeli exit and no forced Palestinian displacement. Netanyahu's cabinet ratified the deal in the early hours of October 10, with the ceasefire activating at noon local time, amid scenes of jubilation in Tel Aviv and cautious relief in Khan Younis.
Yet, not all in Israel cheered. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir decried the prisoner swap as a concession to "terrorists," vowing his Otzma Yehudit party would oppose it—a stance that failed to derail the 14-0 cabinet vote. Netanyahu, addressing the nation, hailed it as "a great day for Israel," crediting U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for their "crucial" interventions during marathon Cairo sessions.
Hostage Release Looms: "Any Moment Now"
At the epicenter of the deal's emotional stakes are the hostages, whose plight has galvanized global attention. Vance, in his ABC interview, revealed that "there are 20 living hostages expected to be released in the next 24 hours," aligning with Israel's hostage coordinator's timeline for Monday morning transfers. Among them are poignant cases like the Berman twins, Gali and Ziv, 28-year-old siblings abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza alongside neighbor Emily Damari, who was freed in January 2025. Their family, informed by prior releases that the brothers endured, clings to hope despite reports of at least 28 deceased captives, including Nova festival survivor Guy Illouz, 26, who succumbed to wounds post-abduction.
"You can't say exactly the moment they will be released, but we have every expectation—that's why the president is going—that he will be greeting the hostages early next week," Vance told NBC, referencing Trump's itinerary: a Knesset address in Jerusalem followed by the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. The Hostage Families Forum, representing affected kin, greeted the news with "excitement, anticipation and apprehension," urging swift implementation and lauding Trump's "commitment and determination."
Logistically, the handovers promise high drama. Hamas has pledged to recover bodies from rubble-snarled sites, a process officials estimate could extend beyond the 72-hour window for living releases. Israeli forces, having repositioned to lines ceding 53% control of Gaza, stand poised at Re'im base for helicopter extractions, with U.S. Black Hawks on standby. Past exchanges, like the January 2025 truce, featured choreographed Hamas ceremonies—scenarios Jerusalem now seeks to circumvent for security.
Trump's personal stake amplifies the moment. On Truth Social, he proclaimed, "ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon," framing it as vindication of his "America First" foreign policy. Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and deal architect, echoed this in Tel Aviv, where crowds chanted "Thank you, Trump" beneath billboards bearing his likeness. "Bringing home the hostages has long been one of President Trump’s top priorities," Kushner said, crediting IDF valor across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Sharm el-Sheikh Summit: A Gathering of Giants
As hostages prepare for freedom, world leaders converge on Egypt's Red Sea gem for the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit, co-chaired by Trump and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Slated for Monday afternoon, the forum—attended by over 20 nations, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and EU Council President António Costa—seeks to "end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability," per the Egyptian presidency.
Notably absent: direct representatives from Israel or Hamas, underscoring the mediators' focus on guarantor states. PA President Mahmoud Abbas is expected, alongside figures from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and even Iran—invited in a diplomatic olive branch by Washington. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, joining for the signing ceremony, will "pay particular tribute to the leadership of President Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey," Downing Street announced.
The agenda spans security (multinational force mandates), governance (Hamas disarmament timelines), and humanitarian imperatives (aid surges). A U.S.-Qatari-Egyptian-Turkish task force will hunt remaining hostage remains, while Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni hails the plan as a "turning point." Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya echoed calls for unilateral halts and aid ramps.
Disputes shadow the optimism. Arab states advocate a UN Security Council resolution for the security force's mandate, clashing with Israel's fears of curtailed operational freedom. Netanyahu's office nixed releasing Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, a deal-breaker for some Palestinians. Hamas, meanwhile, demands explicit withdrawal maps and no annexations.
The Human Catastrophe: A Strip Uninhabitable
No narrative of this ceasefire omits Gaza's apocalypse. Since October 2023, Israeli operations—retaliatory for Hamas's onslaught—have claimed over 67,600 Palestinian lives, predominantly women and children, per Gaza's Health Ministry, rendering the 365-square-kilometer enclave "largely uninhabitable." A January 2025 Lancet study, analyzing data through June 2024, estimated traumatic injuries alone at 64,260, projecting over 70,000 by October—59% women, children, and elderly. Indirect deaths from famine, disease, and infrastructure collapse push totals toward 80,000, per independent projections.
The demographics are harrowing: 30% of fatalities children under 18, with 2,596 orphans losing both parents and 53,724 one by September 2025. Entire families—20 surnames erased from civil registries—bear the war's erasure. Healthcare, assaulted over 790 times by WHO counts, lies in tatters: hospitals bombed, ambulances targeted, medics detained.
Destruction is near-total: 92% of homes and 88% of commercial sites damaged or razed, per UN OCHA; 78% of structures obliterated by July, satellite imagery reveals. Croplands—once strawberry fields and wheat expanses—lie barren, 80% scorched. Khuza'a, Khan Younis's breadbasket, was methodically leveled between May and October 2025. Famine grips Gaza City, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification declaring it in August 2025—disputed by Israel but corroborated by 460 malnutrition deaths.
Displacement is wholesale: 80% of Gazans evicted by 65+ IDF orders, herded south in futile bids for safety. Journalists fare no better—217 Palestinian, three Lebanese, two Israeli slain, per Committee to Protect Journalists. On the Israeli side, 466 soldiers perished, 2,951 wounded since ground ops began October 27, 2023; the IDF claims 17,000-20,000 Hamas fighters neutralized, revising initial estimates amid recruitment surges.
Gaza's Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal urged caution in returns, deeming northern zones "extremely dangerous" despite the truce. Rami Hamda, a returning father, told BBC Arabic, "I heard my home was destroyed... but I'm hoping to salvage something. You can't even find a tent."
Aid Flows, But Challenges Persist
The ceasefire's humanitarian dividend is palpable. Over 500 trucks crossed Rafah since Friday, 300 disseminated by UN and NGOs—triple prior volumes. Full aid resumption mirrors January 2025 protocols: infrastructure rehab (water, power, sewage), hospital/bakery restorations, rubble-clearing gear. World Food Programme's logistics, proven in prior pauses, aim to feed a third of needs anew.
CENTCOM's nascent civil-military hub in Israel coordinates, deploying up to 200 regional troops for monitoring—no U.S. boots in Gaza, per officials. Yet, Hamas's subterranean labyrinth poses risks; Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered IDF prep for tunnel annihilation, a "major challenge" post-hostage phase.
Vance's Diplomacy: Unconventional Paths to Peace
Vance's interviews illuminated the administration's modus operandi. On NBC, he rebuffed media fixation on side stories, pivoting to Gaza's urgency: "We're focused on governing realities." To ABC, he lauded Trump's "unconventional" engagement—bypassing "failed diplomatic routes" by convening Gulf states and Israelis via Witkoff and Kushner. "We've worked so hard... we're right on the cusp," Vance said, crediting pressure on Hamas.
Critics, including CodePink activists confronting Kamala Harris over prior U.S. arms flows, decry the deal's architects. Yet, PA's Abbas welcomed it, prioritizing "complete ceasefire, hostage/prisoner releases, (and) urgent aid." Joint Arab statements from UAE to Pakistan praised Trump's "sincere efforts."
On X (formerly Twitter), reactions cascade: Trump's posts on unrelated hostages underscore his fixation, while users amplify Vance's clip: "Trump spoke to both sides—that's why we have a ceasefire." Protests persist, with some labeling legacies "genocide," countered by MAGA voices decrying prior inaction.
Regional Ripples: From Lebanon to Iran
The Gaza thaw cascades regionally. Hezbollah's northern front quiets, Iran's proxies recalibrate amid Tehran's summit invite—a Trump gambit for de-escalation. Netanyahu warned in a pre-summit address: "The military campaign isn't over," signaling vigilance against violations. Yet, Witkoff's Gaza tour with Kushner and Ivanka Trump—touring ruins under tricolor flags—signals reconstruction's dawn.
Looking Ahead: Fragile Hope in Rubble
As Palestinians trek north—on foot, cart, vehicle—past skeletal buildings, the ceasefire's sinews strain against history's weight. An elderly woman in Khan Younis clutches salvaged heirlooms; children in Nuseirat celebrate amid tents. BBC's Jeremy Bowen deems it "a realistic chance" for war's end—but "not over yet."
Vance's closing plea resonates: Sustaining peace demands "a lot of work." In Sharm el-Sheikh, as pens hover over signatures, the world watches—not just for ink, but for the lives it might spare. Gaza, scarred yet stirring, embodies that precarious pivot from abyss to aspiration.
