Vance at ceasefire HQ: Israel must consent to which foreign troops are stationed on its soil

US Vice President JD Vance says that any decision regarding the stationing of forces on Israeli soil must have Jerusalem’s consent.

Vance makes the comment at a press conference at the US-Israel coordination center for the ceasefire in Gaza, housed in Kiryat Gat. It is not clear whether he is referring to the presence of foreign forces at the center in southern Israel or to Gaza itself.

The vice president is responding to a question from The Times of Israel on Turkey’s role in the postwar Strip, and says that Ankara could play a “constructive role” there but stresses that nothing will be forced on Israel regarding the presence of troops on its territory.

“What troops are on the ground in Israel is going to be a question the Israelis have to agree to,” Vance says, adding, “I’m sure that Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu will have opinions about that.”

“But we think everybody has a role to play here. Some of that’s going to be financial, some of that’s going to be in reconstruction, some of that’s just in communication with the various parties to ensure that this deconfliction process actually works and is implemented,” he continues.

“We’re not going to force anything on our Israeli friends when it comes to foreign troops on their soil. But we do think that there’s a constructive role for the Turks to play. Frankly, they’ve already played a very constructive role; we’re very grateful for that,” he says.

Regarding concerns over Turkey’s support for Hamas, Vance says, “No one who is a party to this conflict can look in the past and not point at something that they don’t like or that they disagree with… The way that we’re going to get to peace is to focus on the future,” he says.

“We think everybody here is very willing to do that and is very eager to engage in that effort,” he concludes.