The US president denied that the resumption of hostilities was “jeopardizing” the ceasefire
US President Donald Trump has defended Israel’s renewed strikes in Gaza nearly three weeks into a ceasefire he helped broker.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “immediate and powerful strikes” on Tuesday evening, citing Hamas attacks on Israeli soldiers still holding parts of the Palestinian enclave. At least 30 Palestinians were killed in the action, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run government.
“As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday en route from Japan to South Korea. “They killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back – and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back,” he added.
Trump argued that “nothing is going to jeopardize” the ceasefire. He insisted that Hamas was “a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave,” otherwise “their lives will be terminated.”
Vice President J.D. Vance said earlier that the ceasefire was holding despite “little skirmishes here and there.” Axios cited unnamed senior US officials as saying that the White House urged Israel not to take “radical measures” that could collapse the truce.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), last week two of its soldiers were attacked and killed by Hamas in Rafah, southern Gaza, and more soldiers came under fire in the same area on Tuesday. Hamas denied involvement in both incidents, accusing Israel of “a blatant ceasefire violation.”
The Palestinian armed group warned that the escalation “will lead to a delay” in recovering and returning the bodies of the 13 remaining hostages in Gaza. Israeli officials earlier accused Hamas of dragging its feet in handing over all the remains, as agreed under the ceasefire mediated by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, which took effect on October 10.
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