Vance said in statements to Fox News on Sunday that “very complex discussions are currently taking place between Arab leaders and the [US President Donald] Trump administration, specifically special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”

He added, “We feel cautiously optimistic, and President Trump feels optimistic, and that feeling is justified. We demand the return of all hostages at once.”

Previously, US President Donald Trump stated that “inspiring and very productive” discussions are underway with the Middle East community regarding the Gaza Strip, in intensive negotiations over the past four days.

Trump also announced that an agreement on resolving the Gaza conflict “seems to have been reached,” noting that the potential agreement includes the return of prisoners and an end to the ongoing war.

Trump’s statements come at a time when the Gaza Strip is witnessing one of the deadliest wars in modern times launched by Israel on the Strip, which erupted since October 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure.

The issue of prisoners held by Hamas has remained one of the main points of tension between Tel Aviv and the US government, amid international mediation efforts led by Qatar and Egypt with US support. The crisis has seen repeated attempts to reach a humanitarian ceasefire or prisoner exchange, most of which failed due to Israeli conditions.

Trump’s stance is seen as an indicator that may contribute to ending the deadly Israeli war on Gaza, as he has repeatedly pledged to “end wars quickly” through what he described as “big deals.”