WASHINGTON, USA — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, October 19, 2025, that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza remains in effect, despite deadly Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 45 people in the enclave following allegations of truce violations by Hamas.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed that the nine-day-old ceasefire — brokered by his administration — was “still holding,” though he acknowledged renewed tensions.
“Yeah, it is,” Trump said when asked about the status of the truce.
“We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas. It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”
The president suggested that any breaches of the ceasefire were likely the work of “some rebels within” rather than Hamas’s leadership, describing the incident as “unfortunate but manageable.”
Israel launched a series of air and artillery strikes on Hamas positions in southern Gaza on Sunday, October 19, 2025, claiming that its troops had been targeted in Rafah in “a blatant violation” of the ceasefire.
The Gaza civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said at least 45 people were killed in the strikes.
Hospitals in Gaza confirmed the toll to AFP.
Israel’s military said it was investigating the reports but maintained that its actions were in response to attacks on its forces.
“Earlier today, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and opened fire on IDF forces in Rafah,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
“The IDF responded with air strikes by fighter jets and artillery fire.”
AFP footage showed civilians fleeing through the streets as bombs struck parts of Bureij and Deir al-Balah.
“The scene is indescribable. Blood has returned again,” said Abdullah Abu Hasanin, a 29-year-old resident of Al-Bureij camp.
The truce, which began on Friday, October 10, 2025, halted more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas and established a framework for hostage exchanges and a roadmap for Gaza’s reconstruction.
However, the fragile peace has been strained by mutual accusations of ceasefire violations.
A Hamas official dismissed Israel’s claims as “fabricated pretexts to resume the war,” while Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Hamas would “pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach.”
Trump’s peace plan — a 20-point framework — calls for Israel to maintain control of Gaza’s borders while withdrawing from major urban centres.
Under the deal, Hamas has released 20 surviving hostages and has been returning the bodies of deceased captives.
Israel, in turn, has handed over 150 Palestinian bodies to Gaza and tied the reopening of the Rafah crossing to the recovery of all remaining deceased hostages.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance called on Gulf Arab states to help create a “security infrastructure” ensuring Hamas’s disarmament — a key component of Trump’s peace framework.
The United Nations has continued to warn of worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where aid deliveries have been suspended amid the renewed fighting.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 68,159 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023, with women and children making up more than half of the dead.
Hamas’s initial attack on Israel killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians.
As tensions rise, Trump’s administration is under growing pressure to sustain the ceasefire, with international observers warning that even a minor escalation could unravel months of negotiations and plunge the region back into full-scale conflict.
