Trump defends resumed Israeli attacks in Gaza
(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump voiced support for Israel’s decision to resume military strikes in Gaza, nearly three weeks after a ceasefire that he helped negotiate took effect.
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “immediate and powerful strikes” in the enclave, claiming that Hamas had attacked Israeli soldiers stationed in areas still under Israeli control. Reports from Gaza’s Hamas-run administration said at least 30 Palestinians were killed in the latest bombardment.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday while traveling from Japan to South Korea, Trump said, “As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier. They killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back – and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back.”
The president maintained that “nothing is going to jeopardize” the ceasefire, insisting that Hamas represented “a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave,” or “their lives will be terminated.”
Earlier, Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the ceasefire was still “holding” despite “little skirmishes here and there.” According to reports citing senior U.S. officials, the White House had cautioned Israel against taking “radical measures” that could push the truce toward collapse.
The Israel Defense Forces said two of its soldiers were killed in Rafah, southern Gaza, last week, and that troops again came under fire in the same area on Tuesday. Hamas denied involvement in either incident, accusing Israel of “a blatant ceasefire violation.”
The Palestinian group warned that renewed hostilities “will lead to a delay” in the recovery and return of the remains of the 13 remaining hostages held in Gaza. Israeli officials have previously accused Hamas of stalling the handover process outlined in the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, which took effect on October 10.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
