US Vice President Vance Arrives in Israel to Push Gaza Ceasefire

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday as Washington steps up efforts to shore up a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that has been tested by renewed violence and disputes over the next phase of a longterm plan for the territory. His visit follows the arrival of two senior U.S. envoys and comes after an exchange of fire over the weekend that left Israeli and Palestinian dead and renewed pressure on both sides to abide by the truce.

Vance met upon arrival with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and was due to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials during a visit expected to last until Thursday. The vice president is scheduled to meet families of hostages and to hold a news conference in Jerusalem. The White House has described the trip as part of an effort to ensure implementation of the ceasefire and advance a multistage plan for Gaza’s future that includes disarming Hamas and establishing an internationally supervised security mechanism.

President Donald Trump warned Monday that he would allow Israel to take decisive military action if Hamas failed to comply with the deal, saying, “If they are...