Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Vance confirmed that talks involving Israeli and Arab officials had been underway for several days, with US mediation led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Yes. So there’s a very complicated negotiation happening right now between Arab leaders, between the Israelis, and of course, between the Trump administration led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio,” he said.
“So those conversations are happening as we speak. They’ve been ongoing over the course of the past couple of days. I’m going to let those negotiations play out, but I think the president’s optimism is warranted here. I feel more optimistic about where we are right now than where we have been at any point in the last few months.”
However, Vance urged caution: “Let’s be realistic; these things can get derailed at the last minute, so while I remain very hopeful, I am cautiously hopeful. I’m going to let the diplomats continue to work on this.”
At one point in the interview, Vance outlined President Donald Trump’s position on the future governance of Gaza and the West Bank.
“I think President Trump has been very clear: He actually wants Gaza and the West Bank to be controlled by the people who live there, and he wants the terrorist networks that are around the Israelis to be dismantled,” he said.
Trump had previously said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, despite ongoing threats from Israeli leaders to undermine any prospects for a two-state solution. “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. “No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen.”
On US priorities, Vance said, “Our principle here is very simple. We want all the hostages to come home. We want Hamas to no longer be a terror threat to the state of Israel. And we also want to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza for the many innocent people who are caught up in the conflict.”
“I think we are close to accomplishing all three of those objectives,” he said.
Vance’s comments came as Donald Trump posted on social media, claiming there was “a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.”
“ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!” Trump wrote.
On Friday, the president told reporters at the White House that a Gaza deal was close: “I think we have maybe a deal on Gaza, very close to a deal on Gaza,” he said, before departing Washington to attend the Ryder Cup tournament.
“I think it’s a deal that will get the hostages back; it’s going to be a deal that will end the war; it’s going to be a deal… it will be peace.”
The administration is said to be working to finalize a 21-point Gaza peace plan, which would include an end to Israel’s war on Gaza and the release of all captives held by Hamas.
The US has previously expressed optimism about a deal, but those hopes have repeatedly been dashed by Israeli military actions that have disrupted ceasefire negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has openly rejected a two-state solution and sabotaged previous ceasefire efforts, is scheduled to visit the White House on Monday, according to Israeli officials.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza is soaring as the Israeli military continues a relentless and brutal assault on Gaza City and northern Gaza to forcibly displace more than 1.2 million Palestinians to the south of the strip in an act of ethnic cleansing.
Non-stop bombardment has devastated vast areas of the territory, driving nearly 90 percent of the population from their homes and triggering a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Experts warn that famine is spreading rapidly across the densely populated strip, with basic services collapsing under the strain of the nearly two-year war.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 66,000 Palestinians and injured more than 168,000, with the majority being women and children.
The scale and deliberate nature of the attacks have been condemned by the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, genocide scholars, human rights groups, and aid organizations, many of whom have characterized the campaign as genocide.
Short link: