Trump says Gaza ceasefire still in force after Israeli strikes

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that a ceasefire successful Gaza was inactive holding aft Israel carried retired deadly strikes connected the territory implicit alleged truce violations by Hamas.

The dozens of strikes Israel carried retired connected Hamas positions successful confederate Gaza Sunday came aft it accused the militant radical of targeting its troops successful “a blatant violation” of the nine-day-old truce.

Asked by reporters whether the truce was inactive successful effect, Trump said: “Yeah, it is”. The US president, who helped broker the deal, besides suggested that Hamas enactment was not progressive successful immoderate alleged breaches, alternatively blaming “some rebels within”.

“We privation to marque definite that it’s going to beryllium precise peaceful with Hamas,” Trump said. “It’s going to beryllium handled toughly, but properly.”

Gaza’s civilian defence agency, which operates nether Hamas authority, said the strikes killed astatine slightest 45 radical crossed the territory.

Four hospitals successful Gaza confirmed the decease toll of 45 to AFP, saying they had received the dormant and wounded.

Israel’s subject said it was looking into the reports of casualties.

Media restrictions successful Gaza and difficulties successful accessing galore areas mean AFP is incapable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civilian defence bureau oregon the Israeli military.

The service said it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” connected Sunday but vowed to “respond firmly to immoderate usurpation of it”.

Hamas denied the accusations, 1 authoritative accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume the war.

A information authoritative besides told AFP that Israel was suspending the introduction of assistance into Gaza owed to ceasefire violations.

Israel repeatedly chopped disconnected assistance to Gaza during the war, exacerbating dire humanitarian conditions, with the United Nations saying it caused a famine there.

– ‘Blood has returned’ –

The ceasefire, which began connected October 10, halted much than 2 years of devastating warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas.

The woody established the outline for hostage and captive exchanges, and projected an ambitious roadmap for Gaza’s future. But it has rapidly faced challenges to its implementation.

Israel said connected Sunday that 2 of its soldiers died successful clashes successful the metropolis of Rafah.

“Earlier today, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and opened occurrence connected IDF (Israeli army) forces,” successful Rafah, the subject said successful a statement. “The IDF responded with aerial strikes by combatant jets and artillery fire, targeting the Rafah area.”

Palestinian witnesses told AFP clashes erupted successful the confederate metropolis successful an country inactive held by Israel.

One witness, a 38-year-old antheral who asked not to beryllium named, said that Hamas had been warring a section Palestinian pack known arsenic Abu Shabab but the militants were “surprised by the beingness of service tanks”.

“The aerial unit conducted 2 strikes from the air,” helium added.

Abdullah Abu Hasanin, 29, from Al‑Bureij campy successful cardinal Gaza wherever Israel launched strikes, said: “The concern is arsenic if the warfare has returned anew.

“We had hoped the statement would hold, but the concern respects thing — not an agreement, not anything.”

He said helium had rushed to the tract of the bombing to help, adding: “The country is indescribable. Blood has returned again.”

– ‘Security illusion’ –

AFP images from Bureij showed Palestinians moving for screen from the strikes, arsenic good arsenic the dormant and wounded arriving astatine Deir al-Balah hospital, accompanied by grieving relatives.

Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas would “pay a dense terms for each changeable and each breach of the ceasefire”, adding Israel’s effect would “become progressively severe”.

A connection from Izzat Al-Rishq, a subordinate of Hamas’s governmental bureau, reaffirmed the group’s committedness to the ceasefire.

Israel, it said, “continues to breach the statement and fabricate flimsy pretexts to warrant its crimes”.

Hamas’s equipped helping insisted connected Sunday that it had...