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‘I’ll have to…': Trump's first response after Israel violates Gaza ceasefire that he brokered
When a reporter pressed Donald Trump on whether Israel was justified in striking Gaza despite the peace deal in place, here's what the US President said.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday maintained that the ceasefire in Gaza was “still holding,” even as Israeli air strikes killed at least 45 people across the besieged territory. The escalation came after Israel accused Hamas of violating the nine-day-old truce by targeting its troops in southern Gaza.
Speaking to reporters, Trump, who helped broker the truce, downplayed the tensions. “Yeah, it is,” he said when asked if the ceasefire was still in effect. He added that he believed the breaches may have been 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.”
However, when a reporter pressed him on whether Israel was justified in striking Gaza, Trump appeared uncertain.
“Striking where?” Trump asked.
“In Gaza today and overnight,” the reporter clarified.
“I’d have to get back to you on that,” Trump replied.
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, at least 45 people were killed in the strikes, a toll confirmed by four local hospitals. Israel’s military said it was “looking into” reports of civilian casualties and reiterated that it would “respond firmly to any violation” of the ceasefire.
The ceasefire, which began on October 10, halted more than two years of devastating conflict and included plans for hostage and prisoner exchanges. But the latest violence has raised fears that the fragile peace could collapse.
Israel said two of its soldiers were killed in Rafah after Hamas fighters allegedly fired anti-tank missiles and small arms. The Israeli Defence Forces responded with air strikes and artillery fire, targeting areas in the southern city. Palestinian witnesses described scenes of chaos as residents fled their homes amid renewed bombardment.
“The situation is as if the war has returned anew,” said Abdullah Abu Hasanin, a resident of Al-Bureij camp. “We had hoped the agreement would hold, but the occupation respects nothing. Blood has returned again.”
Israel defence minister Israel Katz warned Hamas would “pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach of the ceasefire,” while Hamas’s political bureau accused Israel of fabricating “flimsy pretexts” to justify further attacks.
US vice president JD Vance urged Gulf Arab states to help establish a “security infrastructure” to enforce the peace deal, which calls for Hamas to disarm and Israel to gradually withdraw from key areas of Gaza.
Despite the latest violence, both Israel and Hamas continued limited aspects of the agreement. Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total number to 150, while Hamas released 20 surviving hostages and pledged to recover more bodies from the rubble.
The 2023 war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, has killed more than 68,000 people in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which the UN deems credible. More than half of the victims are believed to be women and children.
