U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to reinforce the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, following a flare-up of deadly violence that has cast uncertainty over efforts to secure lasting peace in the region.
Vance met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials in Jerusalem soon after landing, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. His visit comes a day after White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, arrived to oversee progress on the truce. Vance is expected to remain in the region until Thursday.
While in Israel, Vance will also meet families of hostages still held in Gaza and relatives of those whose remains have been recovered. Hamas said earlier on Tuesday that it had located the remains of two more hostages and intended to hand them over by evening.
The ceasefire, which began on October 10, has largely held despite sporadic clashes on Sunday that left several dead. Both Israel and Hamas reaffirmed their commitment to the deal, which Trump has called “essential for peace and stability.”
Egypt’s intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Hassan Rashad, also travelled to Israel on Tuesday to join talks with Netanyahu, Witkoff, and other officials regarding the truce’s next phase, Netanyahu’s office said. The discussions mark the beginning of negotiations for a long-term peace framework under the broader U.S.-backed plan.
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Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News that the group remains “committed to ending the war once and for all,” while urging mediators to ensure that Israel increases humanitarian supplies, particularly shelter and medical aid, before winter.
Israel confirmed Tuesday that it had recovered the body of Tal Haimi, a 42-year-old father of four who was abducted during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. Haimi, a member of the kibbutz’s emergency response team, was among the roughly 251 hostages taken during that assault, which killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Under the current ceasefire deal, Hamas is expected to return the remains of 15 Israeli hostages in exchange for 15 Palestinian bodies per exchange, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. So far, 13 Israeli bodies and 165 Palestinian bodies have been transferred.
A senior Gaza health official claimed that some of the bodies returned by Israel showed signs of torture and abuse, including rope marks, burns, and crushed limbs.
Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, general director of Gaza’s Health Ministry, posted on social media that the evidence warranted a United Nations investigation. He said only 32 of the returned bodies have been identified so far.
The Israel Prisons Service denied any mistreatment, saying prisoners were provided with medical care and “adequate living conditions.”
Israeli hostages released from Gaza have also described harsh treatment, including beatings, food deprivation, and being restrained with metal shackles.
