US Vice President Vance: Turkey should take on a constructive role in Gaza

US Vice President James David Vance spoke at the opening of the US-Israel coordination center established for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in Israel. US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also present with Vance.

Stating that the peace plan in Gaza is going "better than expected," Vance said, "It has been a week since US President Donald Trump's historic peace plan in the Middle East, and things, frankly, are going better than I expected."

Expressing that at the newly opened civil-military cooperation center, Israelis and Americans will work hand-in-hand to rebuild Gaza, ensure long-term peace, and maintain that peace, Vance said, "There is a lot of work to be done, and this will take a very long time."

When asked about how the administration in the Gaza Strip would be handled, Vance replied, "I don't know the answer to that question," adding that security and reconstruction are the priorities.

Stating that the recovery of the bodies of Israeli hostages from Gaza "will not happen overnight," Vance said, "Some of these hostages are buried under thousands of tons of rubble. The location of some hostages is not known by anyone. This does not mean we will not try to reach them or that we will not succeed. It just means we need to be a little patient. This will take some time."

Noting that the disarmament of Hamas will also take time, Vance said, "However, at the point where I am right now, I am confident that this peace will be lasting and sustainable, and if Hamas does not cooperate, as the US President has also said, Hamas will be destroyed."

Stating that the US will not send troops to Gaza, Vance said, "It is important for Americans to know a few things: no US troops will be deployed to Gaza. All our military leaders have made this clear."

Explaining that the role of the US will be to ensure coordination among its allies and to mediate the terms of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Vance said, "I think everyone should be proud of where we are today. This will require constant effort. It will require constant monitoring and oversight."

Regarding Turkey, one of the parties to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Vance stated that he believes Turkey should take on a "constructive role" in Gaza, noting that this could be in the fields of finance, construction, or communications.

"IT WAS A CHALLENGE IN ITSELF"

Witkoff, for his part, said that the ceasefire is continuing and that they are truly proud of what has happened. Witkoff said, "Signing this agreement was a challenge in itself, but what is really important is the implementation of the agreement, and I think this is a development beyond what we are currently thinking."

Stating that the US-led center established in Israel to monitor the ceasefire could be a model for ending future conflicts, Witkoff said, "We are learning a lot as we try to understand in all its intricacies how we will organize the peace agreement and how we will transition from war to peace."

Kushner stated that progress has been made in bringing back the bodies of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, adding that it is "possible" to build a new future in Gaza and that it is important for all parties to work together for this to happen.

Kushner also announced that reconstruction funds will not be transferred to areas of Gaza under Hamas control.

News Source: İHA