After pushing for the renewal of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested late Sunday night that the recent breach in the southern part of the territory may have been carried out by "rebels" within Hamas. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said: “it’s going to be handled properly. It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”
With these remarks, Trump effectively endorsed Hamas' claim that it was not responsible for the deadly incidents in Rafah. The group released an official statement denying involvement, asserting its commitment to the ceasefire, and claiming it had "lost contact" with its operatives in the area.
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US President Trump says the ceasefire remains in place despite Hamas violations
(Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP)
The president added that the ceasefire agreement remains in effect after passing what he described as its first major test—but he also cautioned: “We’ll have to see what happens,” referring to the attack in which Yaniv Kula, 26, and Itay Yavetz, 26, of the Nahal Brigade—were killed. “We want to ensure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump said. “As you know, they’ve been quite rambunctious."
On Sunday evening, the IDF spokesperson announced that Israel had resumed “enforcement of the ceasefire” after launching a series of airstrikes in Gaza in response to the Rafah incidents, one of which killed Kula and Yavetz and seriously wounded another soldier.
“In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a significant wave of strikes, the IDF has begun renewed enforcement of the ceasefire after it was violated by the Hamas terrorist organization,” the statement said.
The implication was clear: the order came from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The IDF further stated that it "will continue to enforce the ceasefire agreement and will respond forcefully to any violation."
This announcement followed a diplomatic blunder surrounding Israel’s decision to suspend humanitarian aid to Gaza “until further notice.” That decision was later reversed by Netanyahu following American pressure. Just one hour after the initial announcement to halt aid—as part of Israel’s response to the Hamas ceasefire breach—a government official clarified that the suspension was due solely to ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
“Truck movement will resume after the bombings end,” the source explained.
According to Palestinian sources speaking to Al Jazeera, "mediators have succeeded in returning the situation in Gaza to the framework of the ceasefire agreement." They added that "discussions are underway to establish a binding mechanism to handle future violations."
Behind the scenes, U.S. pressure played a central role. Netanyahu reportedly promised the Americans that humanitarian aid would resume Monday, despite his earlier pledge to halt it. U.S. officials were deeply involved in negotiations with both the mediators and Israel, aiming to prevent a collapse of the ceasefire — a collapse that would have severely embarrassed Trump, who has already declared the war "over" and touted it as the eighth conflict he has resolved since returning to the White House.
Adding to the tension, Hamas—perhaps not coincidentally—announced around the same time that it had located another killed hostage’s body. However, it stated that it could only return the body "when the conditions on the ground allow."