Optimistic that the agreement between Israel and Hamas on the cease-fire in Gaza will last, said the US vice president, Jay Dee Vancewho on Tuesday, made a trip to Israel.

“What we saw last week gives me great hope that the ceasefire is going to hold,” he said, adding: “Given the history of the conflict, I think everyone should be proud of where we are today. I feel very optimistic. Can I say with absolute certainty that it will work? No”.

“Thanks to our partners, both in Israel, but in all the Arab states of the Gulf, Indonesia, Turkey, we are doing something amazing here.”

The vice president of USA he added that “everyone has a role to play in terms of countries contributing to the peacekeeping force in Gaza.”

“The troops that will be on her territory Gazawill result from an agreement with the Israel. And I’m sure Benjamin Netanyahu will have his own views on this. But we believe everyone has a role to play here,” he stressed.

Referring to the return of the bodies of hostages from Hamas, the US vice president said it was a difficult case and could not be solved overnight. “It’s a key issue here, to get all the bodies back to their families so they can have a proper burial,” he said. He added: “Some of these hostages are buried under thousands of kilos in the rubble. Some of the hostages, no one knows where they are. That doesn’t mean we would stop working to get them back.”

Jay De Vance also said the US will eliminate Hamas if it does not disarm. “If Hamas does not comply with the agreement, very bad things will happen. But I’m not going to do what the president of the United States has so far refused to do. Let’s set a deadline. Many of these things are difficult. A lot of these things are unpredictable.”