Vance Weighs in on Disarming Hamas and West Bank Annexation

It’s very early, but I do think that we’ve made a lot of progress in understanding what the composition of the I.S.F. would look like, and understanding what would be necessary for it to actually be effective. Our hope in the administration is that the international security force is going to now take the lead in disarming Hamas. That’s going to take some time, and it’s going to depend a lot on the composition of that force. Again, no American troops on the ground, but American troops supervising and mediating the peace. When I asked about it, somebody told me that it was a political stunt, that it had no practical significance. It was purely symbolic. I mean, look, if it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt. And I personally take some insult to it. The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel.