US President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted that the ceasefire in Gaza remains in place, even after Israel launched deadly airstrikes on Hamas targets in response to alleged truce violations.
Israeli forces carried out dozens of strikes in southern Gaza, accusing Hamas of firing on its troops in “a blatant violation” of the nine-day-old ceasefire. Gaza’s civil defence agency said at least 45 people were killed, a figure confirmed by four hospitals in the territory.
Asked if the truce was still valid, Trump replied, “Yeah, it is,” adding that the breaches appeared to have been caused by “some rebels within” Hamas rather than the group’s leadership. “We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” he said.
The Israeli military said it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” and would “respond firmly to any violation.” Hamas denied the allegations, accusing Israel of seeking “pretexts” to restart hostilities.
A security official told AFP that Israel has suspended aid deliveries to Gaza over the alleged violations, deepening concerns about worsening humanitarian conditions already described by the UN as famine-level.
