Trump Says Gaza Ceasefire Still Holding Despite Israeli Strikes
U.S. Vice President JD Vance urged Gulf Arab countries to establish a “security infrastructure” to ensure Hamas’s disarmament — a key component of Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the Gaza ceasefire remains in effect, despite a new wave of deadly Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 45 Palestinians and reignited fears that the fragile truce could collapse.
The Israeli military said it launched dozens of strikes on Hamas positions in southern Gaza after accusing the group of violating the nine-day-old ceasefire by attacking Israeli troops in Rafah.
Footage released by the Israeli army on Sunday shows what it says are Hamas militants approaching its forces operating in the Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip and striking them after they crossed the yellow line.
Israeli army footage of strikes on militants approaching its forces in northern Gaza!
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) October 20, 2025
🎥: Footage released by the Israeli army on October 19 show what it says are militants approaching its forces operating in the Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip and striking them after they… pic.twitter.com/6hD1bPrLfH
However, Trump — who brokered the truce — downplayed the tensions, telling reporters that “the ceasefire is still holding” and suggesting that “some rebels within” Hamas were behind the alleged breaches.
“We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump said. “It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”
Gaza’s civil defense agency, operating under Hamas authority, said the strikes killed at least 45 people across the enclave. Four hospitals confirmed the same toll to AFP.
Israel’s military said it was “looking into the reports” while reaffirming that it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” and would “respond firmly to any violation.”
Hamas denied Israel’s claims, accusing it of fabricating “pretexts” to resume the war. A security official also told AFP that Israel had suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza over what it described as ceasefire breaches — a move that has drawn concern from international agencies already warning of famine conditions in the territory.
The ceasefire, implemented on October 10, halted more than two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas and established a framework for hostage-prisoner exchanges and Gaza’s postwar governance. But the truce has faced mounting challenges as sporadic clashes continue.
Israel confirmed that two of its soldiers were killed in Rafah on Sunday when militants “fired anti-tank missiles and opened fire” on Israeli forces, prompting retaliatory air and artillery strikes.
Palestinian witnesses said fighting broke out between Hamas and a local gang in an area still under control of the Israeli tanks.
“The situation is as if the war has returned anew,” said Abdullah Abu Hasanin, a resident of Al-Bureij camp. “We had hoped the agreement would hold, but the occupation respects nothing — not an agreement, not anything. Blood has returned again.”
Images from Bureij showed people fleeing airstrikes and rushing the dead and wounded to nearby hospitals. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas would “pay a heavy price for every breach,” while Hamas’s political bureau reaffirmed its “commitment to the ceasefire,” blaming Israel for “fabricating flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance urged Gulf Arab countries to establish a “security infrastructure” to ensure Hamas’s disarmament — a key component of Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Under the deal, Israeli forces have withdrawn beyond the so-called “Yellow Line,” maintaining control over Gaza’s borders but not its main cities.
Meanwhile, Hamas has released 20 surviving hostages and continues returning bodies of those who died in captivity. On Sunday, Israel handed over 15 Palestinian bodies, bringing the total to 150.
The devastating war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,221 people — mostly civilians — has left at least 68,159 dead in Gaza, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory.
While Trump insists the ceasefire remains intact, both sides appear to be testing its limits — underscoring the fragile nature of a truce that, for now, hangs by a thread.
