U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza remained intact despite Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 26 people in response to the death of an Israeli soldier.
Israeli forces launched the strikes on Tuesday after accusing Hamas of breaching the three-week-old truce. The attacks hit several locations, including the Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood, and Khan Younis, according to Gazan health officials.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump defended Israel’s actions, saying: “As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back.”
“Nothing is going to jeopardise the ceasefire,” he added. “You have to understand Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave.”
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An Israeli military official said Hamas violated the ceasefire by attacking Israeli forces within the “yellow line” a designated deployment zone under the agreement.
The ceasefire, in place since 10 October, ended two years of conflict that began with Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. Both sides have since accused each other of violating the terms.
Hamas, however, denied any involvement in the attack that killed the Israeli soldier in Rafah, southern Gaza, and reaffirmed its commitment to the truce.
Trump warned that Hamas risked destruction if it failed to adhere to the deal: “If they (Hamas) are good, they are going to be happy and if they are not good, they are going to be terminated, their lives will be terminated,” Trump said.
