Washington / Jerusalem, October 20, 2025: President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted that the ceasefire in Gaza remains in place, even after Israel launched airstrikes in the enclave and exchanged accusations with Hamas over violations of the fragile truce that Washington helped broker.
“We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, shortly after Israeli forces carried out strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the attacks were in response to Hamas assaults on Israeli troops.
The IDF confirmed it had begun “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” following what it described as a major breach of the agreement.
Trump, however, suggested that Hamas leadership may not have been directly involved, noting that Israel accused the group of killing two soldiers beyond the “yellow line,” a boundary marking Israel’s partial withdrawal zone under the truce’s first phase.
Asked whether Israel’s response was justified, Trump said the matter was “under review,” adding that the situation would be handled “toughly, but properly.”
As regional fears mounted over a possible collapse of the 10-day-old ceasefire, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner arrived in Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli government confirmed that Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance were also expected to visit the country.
The ceasefire had already come under strain amid disputes over the return of hostages’ remains and delays in humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been mediating exchanges between Israel and Hamas, which include hostages for Palestinian detainees.
An Israeli security official said that aid would resume through the Kerem Shalom crossing, though Rafah remained closed.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported that at least 23 people were killed in Sunday’s Israeli strikes. Hamas denied involvement in the Rafah incident and accused Israel of “fabricating flimsy pretexts” to justify new attacks.
Hamas’ government media office claimed that Israel had committed “80 ceasefire violations” since the truce began, causing dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that he had instructed the IDF to deliver a “clear message” to Hamas via an American oversight channel, warning that any militant found beyond the yellow line “will be a target for attack without further warning.”
Katz said Hamas leaders would be held responsible for any breaches. Video shared by his office showed yellow concrete markers being installed to delineate the boundary line.
For families of Israeli soldiers whose bodies remain in Gaza, the fragile ceasefire has offered little comfort.
“Hamas hasn’t been living up to their part of the deal,” said Orna Neutra, mother of Omer Neutra, a 21-year-old IDF soldier from New York whose body is still held in Gaza. Speaking alongside her husband, Ronen Neutra, she urged U.S. envoys to ensure that “the remains of our sons are returned.”
Meanwhile, in Gaza, Palestinian families continue to search for missing relatives among the bodies returned under the truce.
“We wanted to go there to see if our son was among them,” said Mohammad Al-Masri, whose 18-year-old son, Haitham, has been missing for nearly two years. His wife, Samar, added tearfully, “We don’t know his fate — whether he is alive or dead.”
