U.S BID TO BOLSTER SHAKY PEACE DEAL

U.S. VICE President JD Vance flew in to Israel yesterday to save the fragile Gaza peace deal as the Strip again slipped into bloody violence. Vance visits Israel for talks after Gazans killed in fresh bloodshed

- BY CHRIS HUGHES

So far, a shaky agreement has held despite 13 Palestinians being killed in the past 24 hours and more accusations that Israel is breaking the deal.

But Mr Vance said it was going "better than I expected". It came as Israel said it had identified a dead hostage released by Hamas overnight as Tal Hami, who was killed during the attack on Israel that ignited the war.

Mr Vance, who is accompanied by his wife Usha, is joining Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Israel.

He will also meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stay in the region until tomorrow.

After trading strikes this week, Hamas officials reiterated the group is committed to ensuring the war "ends once and for all".