Vice President JD Vance was reportedly scheduled to visit Israel following Trump’s Middle East tour but cancelled abruptly after Israel launched expanded its Gaza offensive.
By World Israel News Staff
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance cancelled a planned trip to Israel recently after the IDF launched its expanded ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to a report published by Axios on Monday.
Last week, reports circulated that the vice president was planning to visit Israel and meet with senior Israeli officials, following President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Vance’s planned trip was widely viewed as a gesture to Israel and a signal that ties between the Jewish state and the Trump administration remain strong. During his first administration, Trump stopped in Israel while visiting the Middle East, but this time he declined.
However, Vance’s visit was scrapped this week after the IDF launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a ground offensive aimed at seizing control of the entire Gaza Strip.
According to Axios, Vance was to have flown to Israel on Tuesday. The administration informed Jerusalem of the planned trip on Saturday.
U.S. and Israeli officials were in talks on Sunday to prepare for the visit, but hours later, the trip was abruptly scrapped, Axios reported.
The report claimed that Vance cancelled in order to avoid the appearance of lending the White House’s backing to the new IDF operation.
A White House official denied that any plans for a trip to Israel had been finalized and said that the decision to limit Vance’s trip to Rome was made based on “logistical constraints.”
“While the Secret Service has engaged in contingency planning for the addition of several potential countries, no additional visits were at any point decided upon, and logistical constraints have precluded an extension of his travel beyond Rome. He will return to Washington on Monday,” the official said. “Media reports that the Vice President will visit Israel are false.”
Vance traveled to Rome to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, which was held on Sunday.
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