President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied recent fighting between Hamas and Israel challenges the ceasefire and 20-point plan, adding that Israel is justified to defend itself.
Aboard Air Force One on the way to Seoul, President Trump insisted “nothing is going to jeopardize” the ceasefire in Gaza, but added that Hamas “killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back. And they should hit back.”
The president described Hamas as a “small part of the Middle East deal” and added that if the group “doesn’t behave properly, it will be eliminated.”
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Vice President JD Vance, addressing reporters in Washington, also voiced confidence that the agreement would hold despite recent exchanges of fire. “There may be little skirmishes here and there,” Vance said, but he predicted that “the president’s peace is going to hold.”
The brief clashes erupted after the IDF said terrorists in Rafah opened fire on soldiers, prompting Israeli airstrikes. Hamas denied involvement but later claimed to have recovered two hostage bodies in Gaza, declining to return them immediately.
Jerusalem has accused Hamas of orchestrating false handovers of remains, including a recent incident in which the group presented partial remains to the Red Cross under what the IDF called “staged conditions.” The Red Cross confirmed that it had been misled, saying it “accepted to be present in good faith” and was unaware the scene had been arranged in advance.
Hamas told mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey that it remains committed to the ceasefire and will return the remaining hostages’ bodies “as quickly as possible.” Israeli officials reject that claim, saying Hamas continues to violate the terms of the agreement by withholding the remains and attacking troops.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel informed the Trump administration of its retaliatory strikes in Gaza after the order was executed. Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, unveiled earlier this month, envisions eventual demilitarization of the Strip under international supervision but leaves that stage for future negotiations.