Trump, Israel say ceasefire still in effect after exchange of fire with Hamas

President Trump and Israel said the Gaza ceasefire is still in effect after an exchange of fire with Hamas this past weekend.

Trump told reporters Sunday evening aboard Air Force One that the ceasefire is “still in place” after Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the U.S.-brokered pact reached earlier this month, according to The Hill newspaper.

The president said Hamas has been “quite rambunctious” but added he believes its leadership “isn’t involved in that.”

The exchange of fire occurred after Hamas exchanged the remaining hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and Israeli soldiers withdrew from much of the Gaza Strip and allowed aid to flow into the territory. Israel demanded that Hamas immediately return the remaining bodies of deceased hostages still in Gaza, but Hamas warned that it would take time to track down all the remaining bodies.

Thus far, 12 of the 28 bodies left in Gaza have been turned over by Hamas. Israel said that the Rafah border crossing, which connects Gaza with Egypt and has been closed since May 2024, will stay closed “until further notice,” when all the remains are returned.

Hamas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to keep the border closed is a violation of the ceasefire terms.

On Sunday, Israeli forces launched a series of airstrikes on Gaza and halted humanitarian aid deliveries, alleging a violation of the ceasefire by Hamas militants. Israel later said two of its soldiers were killed by Hamas.

Israel said the strikes were carried out on dozens of Hamas targets. Palestinian health officials said at least 29 Palestinians were killed in the strikes, but didn't distinguish between militant and civilian casualties.

Following the strikes, an Israeli security official said the transfer of all aid into Gaza was being halted “until further notice” because of Hamas’s action, and all border crossings to the territory were being closed. However, the Trump administration reportedly pressured Israel after this decision, resulting in Netanyahu walking it back, letting the crossings reopen and aid delivery to resume Monday morning local time, according to Axios.

The U.S. has warned Hamas against violating the ceasefire as the terrorist group has appeared to take steps toward solidifying its power in Gaza. Hamas has yet to fully agree to those terms, and carried out public executions to try to reassert control of the area amid competing militias.

Last week, Trump said if Hamas doesn’t disarm itself, “we will disarm them.” On Thursday, he said that U.S. forces wouldn’t go into Gaza to stop Hamas from killing civilians, but “somebody” else would go in “under our auspices.”

The Israel Defense Forces announced Sunday night local time that it “renewed the adherence to the ceasefire” after the “violation by Hamas.”

“The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it,” the military said in a statement on X.

On Monday, the IDF posted on X, "In two separate incidents, IDF troops identified several approaching terrorists who crossed the yellow line in the Shejaiya area, posing an immediate threat to them. The troops fired toward the terrorists who crossed the yellow line in order to remove the threat to them. IDF troops are deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat."