WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was still in effect after the Israeli military carried out deadly strikes on Gaza over apparent truce violations by the Palestinian armed group.
“Yeah, it is,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked if the ceasefire was still in place. He also suggested that Hamas leadership was not involved in any alleged breaches and instead blamed “some rebels within.”
“But either way, it’s going to be handled properly. It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly,” Trump added.
Israel said it had resumed enforcing the Gaza ceasefire after it struck Hamas positions Sunday, having accused the group of targeting its troops in the most serious violence since the nine-day-old truce began.
Gaza’s civil defense agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said at least 45 people had been killed across the territory in Israeli strikes. Israel’s military said it was looking into the reports of casualties.
Israel must ‘find a way to help’ Palestinians: US envoy
Israel should help the Palestinians “thrive” if it seeks regional integration after the Gaza war is over, said US envoy Jared Kushner, who has been involved in mediation efforts for a ceasefire.
“The biggest message that we’ve tried to convey to the Israeli leadership now is that now that the war is over, if you want to integrate Israel with the broader Middle East, you have to find a way to help the Palestinian people thrive and do better,” Kushner told CBS News in an interview that aired on Sunday.
The interview preceded fresh Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip following Israel’s accusation that militant group Hamas had violated the truce by attacking troops.
Kushner, who is also US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, helped broker landmark deals during his first term in office that saw several Arab governments normalize ties with Israel.
In the CBS interview, he said that the situation remained “very difficult,” but he was looking for “joint security and economic opportunity” to guarantee that Israelis and Palestinians “can live peacefully side by side in a durable way.”
On Monday, Kushner returned to Israel alongside Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff for a visit that is expected to see them meet with Israeli government officials.
