Vice President Vance stated on Sunday that the release of 20 surviving hostages from Gaza should happen “as soon as possible,” as the president readies for a trip to the Middle East.
During an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” he was asked about the timing of the hostages’ release and replied to Kristen Welker, “Right now, Kristen.”
“The President of the United States is scheduled to travel to the Middle East to greet the hostages on Monday morning, according to local time there, which means it’s late Sunday or early Monday morning here,” he explained.
Vance noted, “We can’t specify exactly when they’ll be released but we fully expect him to meet the hostages early next week,” emphasizing that this is part of President Trump’s rationale for visiting the region.
Trump is slated to depart for Israel on Sunday afternoon, deliver a speech at the Capitol on Monday morning local time, and then proceed to Egypt for a ceremony welcoming the remaining hostages.
Last Wednesday, President Trump revealed that Israel and Hamas had come to an agreement regarding the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and a cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
In a conversation with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News’ “This Week,” Vance confirmed that Hamas is indeed holding 20 live hostages expected to be released within a day.
When asked about a Wall Street Journal report concerning Hamas’ acknowledgment, Vance replied, “They’ve been confirmed, George,” adding, “We won’t know for sure until we see these individuals alive. But, thankfully, we’re optimistic that within the next 24 hours, likely early tomorrow morning in U.S. time and later in the day in Israel, we should be able to see them safe.”
The vice president described the peace agreement as a “remarkable achievement” for an administration taking an unconventional diplomatic approach.
He also addressed speculation regarding the presence of U.S. troops in Israel, saying, “We already have troops in Central Command. They’ve been stationed in this region for decades. They’ll oversee the ceasefire terms to ensure the Israeli military adheres to the agreed boundaries and that Hamas doesn’t harm innocent Israelis, helping to maintain the peace we’ve fostered.”
“However, the concept of deploying Israeli troops into Gaza isn’t part of our plans. There has been some misinformation about that, but we’re committed to ensuring this peace endures,” Vance added.
He mentioned that Indonesia and several other Muslim nations have “offered ground forces to Gaza for peacekeeping,” but clarified that “this isn’t what we would anticipate from the U.S.”
