U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza remains in effect despite renewed Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 45 people.
The strikes, which targeted Hamas positions in southern Gaza, came after Israel accused the militant group of violating the nine-day-old truce by attacking its troops. Asked by reporters if the ceasefire was still in force, Trump replied, “Yeah, it is,” adding that he believed the alleged violations were carried out by “some rebels within” rather than Hamas leadership.
“We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump said. “It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, at least 45 people were killed in the strikes, a figure confirmed by four hospitals across the territory. The Israeli military said it was reviewing reports of civilian casualties but insisted it would “respond firmly to any violation” of the truce.
Hamas denied targeting Israeli forces, accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume hostilities. The ceasefire, which began on October 10, ended more than two years of intense conflict and was part of a peace deal that included prisoner exchanges and plans for Gaza’s reconstruction.
The Israeli military reported that two of its soldiers were killed in clashes in Rafah, prompting airstrikes and artillery fire in response. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as residents fled their homes amid renewed fighting.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas would “pay a heavy price for every breach of the ceasefire,” while Hamas leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the truce.
Meanwhile, a security official told AFP that Israel had suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza following the latest clashes. The United Nations has previously warned that restrictions on aid have deepened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, pushing parts of the enclave into famine.
The conflict, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has killed more than 68,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory over half of them women and children.
