Trump: Gaza Ceasefire Deal Still in Force After Israeli Strike

The dozens of strikes Israel carried out on Hamas positions in southern Gaza on Sunday, October 19th, came after it accused the terrorist group of targeting its troops in “a blatant violation” of the nine-day-old truce.

Asked by reporters whether the truce was still in effect, Trump said: “Yeah, it is”. The U.S. president, who helped broker the deal, also suggested that Hamas leadership was not involved in any alleged breaches, instead blaming “some rebels within.”

We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas … It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.

Gaza’s civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said the strikes killed at least 45 people across the territory. Israel’s military said it was looking into the reports of casualties. The army said it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” on Sunday, October 19th, but vowed to “respond firmly to any violation of it.”

Hamas denied the accusations, one official accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume the war. Israel said on Sunday, October 19th, that two of its soldiers died in clashes in the city of Rafah, according to an Israeli military statement.

Earlier today, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and opened fire on IDF [Israel Defence Forces] forces. The IDF responded with air strikes by fighter jets and artillery fire, targeting the Rafah area.

Hamas insisted on Sunday, October 19th, that it had “no knowledge” of any clashes in Rafah.

Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas would “pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach of the ceasefire”, adding Israel’s response would “become increasingly severe”. A statement from Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to the ceasefire.

On Sunday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance called on Gulf Arab countries to establish a “security infrastructure” to ensure that Hamas disarmed—a key part of the peace deal.