Trump Insists Gaza Ceasefire Still Holding Despite Israeli Strikes Killing 45

US President Donald Trump on Sunday maintained that the ceasefire in Gaza remains in effect, despite a wave of deadly Israeli air strikes that killed at least 45 people across the territory.

The Israeli military said it had targeted dozens of Hamas positions in southern Gaza after accusing the group of “blatantly violating” the nine-day-old truce.

Asked by reporters if the ceasefire was still intact, Trump replied: “Yeah, it is.” The US president — who helped broker the deal — suggested that any breaches were not authorised by Hamas leadership but likely carried out by “some rebels within.”

“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.”

Gaza’s civil defence agency, operating under Hamas authority, reported that Israeli air raids killed at least 45 people in multiple areas. Four hospitals in Gaza — Al-Awda, Al-Aqsa, Nasser, and Al-Shifa — confirmed receiving the dead and wounded.

The Israeli military said it was verifying reports of civilian casualties. It later stated it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” while vowing to “respond firmly to any violation of it.”

Hamas, however, denied any truce violations, accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume hostilities.

A security official told AFP that Israel had also suspended aid entry into Gaza following the latest clashes — a move the UN warned could worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis.

The ceasefire, which began on October 10, ended more than two years of all-out war between Israel and Hamas. It was part of a deal involving hostage-prisoner swaps and a roadmap for Gaza’s recovery.

Israel said two of its soldiers were killed in Rafah on Sunday after being attacked by “terrorists” firing anti-tank missiles and small arms. The military said it responded “with fighter jets and artillery fire.”

Eyewitnesses in Rafah and central Gaza described scenes of panic and destruction. “The situation is as if the war has returned anew,” said Abdullah Abu Hasanin, 29, from Al-Bureij camp. “We had hoped the agreement would hold, but the occupation respects nothing — not an agreement, not anything. Blood has returned again.”

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Hamas would “pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach of the ceasefire,” promising increasingly severe retaliation.

Hamas political bureau member Izzat Al-Rishq reiterated the group’s commitment to the truce, insisting Israel was “fabricating flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes.”

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance urged Gulf Arab states to help establish a regional “security infrastructure” to ensure Hamas’s disarmament — a key element of Trump’s peace framework.

As part of the deal, Hamas has so far released 20 surviving hostages and returned the remains of others, while Israel on Sunday handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians, bringing the total returned to 150.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, 68,159 people — mostly women and children — have been killed in the enclave since the conflict began in October 2023. Hamas’s initial attack on Israel left 1,221 people dead, most of them civilians.

Opinion Nigeria News