Vice President JD Vance, who was on the second day of a visit to Israel, said recent trips to the country by top American officials were intended to shore up the fragile Gaza truce.

The Israeli government announced that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel to meet with Mr Netanyahu on Friday.

During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vice President Vance said his trip to the region was not about monitoring the Gaza ceasefire like you would “a toddler,” but instead about strengthening Israel’s leadership in the Middle East.

"We want Israel as an ally," Vance said, "and for the US to have less interest in the Middle East. " Israel and the US have the "difficult tasks ahead," of disarming Hamas and ensuring it no longer poses a threat to Israel while also rebuilding Gaza,

As a Christian, this region of the world means a great deal to me,' Vance said at the start of whirlwind trip to salvage the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

The Trump administration will not put a timeline or deadline on Hamas to return deceased hostages to Israel, Vice President JD Vance said during a press conference in Israel at the civilian military cooperation center Tuesday.

“We are not a protectorate of the United States. Israel is the one that will decide on its security,” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office as he headed into the meeting.

"There are not going to be American boots on the ground in Gaza," Vice President JD Vance emphasized during a visit to Israel.

The vice president said that while he can't have "100% certainty that it's going to work," he has "great optimism the ceasefire is going to hold."