‘We Wanna Make Sure That It’s Going To Be Very Peaceful’: Trump Insists Gaza Ceasefire Holds Despite Israeli Strikes That Killed 23 People

President Donald Trump said the ceasefire in Gaza is still working even after Israel launched strikes that killed at least 23 people. The attacks happened after Israel said Hamas broke the peace deal that Trump helped set up.

Israel hit back on Sunday after it said Hamas attacked Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces said it started “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” after what happened. Hamas said it had nothing to do with the attacks and that it still supports the peace deal.

As per MSNBC, talking to reporters late Sunday, Trump said, “We wanna make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas.” He also said Washington thinks Hamas leaders may not have been part of breaking the ceasefire. When reporters asked if Israel was right to strike back, Trump said, “I’d have to get back to you on that,” and added the matter was “under review.” He said things were “going to be handled toughly, but properly.”

The Ceasefire Is Already Showing Cracks

The peace deal that started 10 days ago is now being tested in a big way. Trump’s special helper Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, went to Israel where they met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife were also expected to visit Israel, as Trump faces challenges with his nominees in the Senate.

The deal was already having problems before Sunday’s strikes. Hamas has not given back all the bodies of dead hostages held in Gaza, which has made it harder to move forward with the next part of the deal. Both Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross said finding bodies in all the rubble in Gaza has been very hard. 

The tweet above translated is: “I have instructed the IDF to convey a clear message to the Hamas leaders in Gaza through the American oversight mechanism: every Hamas terrorist found beyond the yellow line in the territory under Israel’s control must evacuate immediately. Anyone who remains in the area will be a target for attack without any further warning, and Hamas leaders will bear responsibility for any incident. This directive is intended to allow IDF forces to operate freely and immediately against any threat. The protection of IDF soldiers is at the top of our priorities, and we will take all necessary measures to ensure this.”

Israel blocking more aid from getting into Gaza has also caused issues. An Israeli security official said Monday that aid would come in through the Kerem Shalom crossing while the Rafah crossing stayed closed. Hamas said Israel has broken the ceasefire “80 times” since it started, saying dozens were killed and hundreds hurt.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said he told the IDF to send a “clear message” to Hamas through an “American oversight mechanism.” He warned that any fighter found past the yellow line marking where Israel pulled back must leave right away or be attacked. Israel has shot at Palestinians near this line, though it’s not clear how much people know about where the line actually is.

For families waiting to bury their loved ones, the delays have been really hard. Orna Neutra, whose son Omer’s body is being held by Hamas in Gaza, said “Hamas hasn’t been living up to their part of the deal.” At the same time, Palestinian families went to hospitals trying to find their relatives among bodies given back by Israel. Mohammad Al-Masri looked for his 18-year-old son Haitham, who went missing almost two years ago. His wife Samar said, “We don’t know his fate, whether he is alive or dead.”