During a press briefing at the newly established Civilian Military Cooperation Center (CMCC), Vice President JD Vance issued a stern warning to Hamas on Tuesday. The CMCC is pivotal in enforcing the groundbreaking ceasefire agreement.

“The president’s 20-point plan is explicit and has garnered support not only from Israel but also from our Gulf Arab allies. It mandates that Hamas must disarm and adhere to proper conduct. While clemency may be extended to fighters, violence against each other or fellow Palestinians will not be tolerated,” Vance declared.

Vance expressed optimism, stating, “I am confident that we are on the path to sustaining long-lasting peace. Should Hamas fail to comply, as the United States has made clear, the group will face complete destruction.”

President Donald Trump appealed to Hamas to swiftly embrace a U.S.-mediated peace initiative designed to resolve the Gaza conflict. (Alex Wong/Getty Images; MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

Vance’s cautionary remarks followed a similar warning from President Trump, who emphasized that failure by Hamas to uphold the agreement would result in a “swift, forceful, and severe” response.

During a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, Trump said that Hamas would be eradicated if it did not hold up its end of the deal. The president issued similar warnings since the peace deal went into effect last week.

In addition to his warning to Hamas, Vance scolded the media over its apparent “desire to root for failure,” saying that any setbacks or hiccups did not necessarily mean the end of the deal.

“Every time something bad happens and every time that there’s an act of violence, there’s this inclination to say, ‘oh, this is the end of the ceasefire. This is the end of the peace plan.’ It’s not the end. It is, in fact, exactly how this is going to have to happen when you have people who hate each other, who have been fighting against each other for a very long time. We are doing very well. We are in a very good place,” Vance said before praising the team working to implement the Gaza deal.

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the Civilian Military Coordination Center in southern Israel Oct. 21, 2025.  (Nathan Howard/Pool via Reuters)

While Vance demanded Hamas disarm in accordance with the deal, he refused to give the terrorist organization an exact deadline, something Trump has not done either.

“The president actually put out a truth this morning that I thought was very instructive. We know that Hamas has to comply with the deal, and if Hamas doesn’t comply with the deal, very bad things are going to happen. But I’m not going to do what the president United States has thus far refused to do, which is put an explicit deadline on it, because a lot of this stuff is difficult. A lot of this stuff is unpredictable,” the vice president said.

The opening of the CMCC is a major milestone in the implementation of the historic deal. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, attended the news conference and said “200 of America’s sons and daughters, who wear the cloth of the nation, have stepped up and are serving here. I just couldn’t be prouder.”

Jared Kushner was also in attendance at the news conference where he spoke about plans for Gaza reconstruction and the efforts currently underway in the ceasefire deal. Kushner noted that there was “surprisingly strong coordination between the United Nations and Israel” on efforts to get aid to Palestinians in the enclave.

Kushner also said that progress was being made towards getting back the remains of all deceased hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli hostages released in the Trump-brokered ceasefire deal met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. (The Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Prior to Vance’s arrival in Israel, several hostages who were freed as part of the historic deal brokered by the Trump administration met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Kushner. The meeting included Omri Miran, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kupershtein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen and Eitan Horn.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the former hostages thanked Witkoff and Kushner and expressed “profound gratitude to President Trump for making their freedom a top priority and working tirelessly to ensure their release after more than two years in captivity.”

When speaking at the CMCC, Witkoff said the meeting was an “emotional moment” and that he felt “blessed to be in that room.”

“I didn’t see any victims in that room. I saw strong people who have come out under very difficult circumstances. Their families are reunited, and they are so grateful,” Witkoff said.

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the Civilian Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Oct. 21, 2025.  (Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images)

In his closing remarks, Vance expressed his trust in God’s providence and said he believed the job could be done.

“I know that Christians have many titles for Jesus Christ, and one of them is the Prince of Peace. And I’d ask all people of faith, in particular my fellow Christians, to pray that the Prince of Peace can continue to work a miracle in this region of the world. I think that we have made incredible strides over the past week. We’re going to have to make a lot more. But I think with your prayers, with God’s providence and with a very good team behind me, I think we’re gonna get it done,” Vance said.

The vice president said that while in Israel, he hopes to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians believe is the site where Jesus Christ was crucified.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.