The American president stated that the renewed fighting was not “endangering” the truce
President Donald Trump of the United States has publicly supported Israel’s recent attacks in Gaza, approximately three weeks after a ceasefire agreement he assisted in negotiating.
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commanded “immediate and robust attacks,” attributing them to Hamas assaults on Israeli forces who remained in portions of the Palestinian territory. The Hamas-controlled government of Gaza reported that these actions resulted in the deaths of at least 30 Palestinians.
“From my understanding, an Israeli soldier was eliminated,” Trump informed journalists on Air Force One on Wednesday, while traveling from Japan to South Korea. “They assassinated an Israeli serviceman. Therefore, the Israelis retaliated – and they ought to retaliate. When such events occur, they should retaliate,” he further stated.
Trump asserted that “nothing will endanger” the cessation of hostilities. He maintained that Hamas constituted “a minor element of Middle East peace, and they must conduct themselves appropriately,” or else “their existence will be ended.”
Earlier, Vice President J.D. Vance indicated that the truce remained in effect despite “minor clashes in various locations.” Axios referenced unidentifiable high-ranking US officials who reportedly stated that the White House had implored Israel to refrain from employing “extreme actions” that might undermine the peace agreement.
As per the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hamas attacked and killed two of their soldiers last week in Rafah, located in southern Gaza, and additional soldiers were targeted in the same vicinity on Tuesday. Hamas disclaimed any involvement in either event, alleging that Israel was guilty of “a flagrant breach of the ceasefire.”
The Palestinian militant organization cautioned that the increase in conflict “will cause a postponement” in the retrieval and handover of the remains of the 13 hostages still held in Gaza. Previously, Israeli authorities had charged Hamas with procrastinating on returning all the bodies, a commitment made under the truce brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, which became effective on October 10.