JD Vance to travel to Israel on Monday to reinforce implementation of Gaza deal

U.S. Vice President JD Vance will travel this Monday to Israel to lead an official delegation tasked with accelerating implementation of the agreement that seeks to end the war in Gaza, four Israeli officials and a U.S. official confirmed to the Axios news outlet. The visit comes at a critical time, as tensions mount over demands for the return of bodies of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

According to Israeli sources, Vance's presence in Jerusalem is a clear signal that the Trump Administration wants to push for full implementation of the agreement without delay and consolidate the progress made in its first phase. This included the release of 20 Israeli hostages alive, the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, an initial withdrawal of Israeli troops from large parts of Gaza, and a cease-fire.

However, the agreement is still considered fragile. According to Israeli officials, Hamas has delayed the return of hostage bodies, which has increased tension between the parties. The situation on the ground remains volatile, and Hamas continues to carry out lethal reprisals in its attempt to re-establish control in parts of Gaza.

Pressure for return of hostage bodies.

Vice President JD Vance's trip comes amid recent contacts between Washington and Jerusalem related to the implementation of the agreement to end the war in Gaza. On Thursday, President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed the situation in Gaza, the Israeli prime minister's office said.

A senior Israeli official told Axios that the call came as Netanyahu was holding a meeting with his top security advisers over Hamas's refusal to return more bodies of deceased Israeli hostages. According to that source, Hamas has so far returned nine of the 28 bodies Israel claims and says it needs to conduct more searches to locate the remaining remains. The Israeli official said that Israel believes that Hamas is holding between seven and 10 bodies that it can return at any time and that by not doing so, they are "creating a crisis."