President Donald Trump welcomes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sara Netanyahu to the White House. (White House)
The White House is backing Israeli retaliatory strikes following Hamas truce violations, US official says, as Hamas warns the Gaza deal is collapsing.
By World Israel News Staff
The Trump administration has given its blessing to Israeli retaliatory strikes against the Hamas terror organization, after Israel accused Hamas of violating the Gaza ceasefire.
Over the weekend, a Hamas terrorist drove into Israeli-controlled territory and opened fire on IDF forces, an army spokesperson said Saturday afternoon.
“Earlier today, an armed terrorist crossed the Yellow Line, cynically exploiting the humanitarian corridor through which humanitarian aid enters the southern Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.
“The terrorist fired at IDF forces deployed in the southern Gaza Strip, without causing casualties. Immediately upon identification, forces from the Southern Brigade fired and eliminated the terrorist.”
Israeli forces responded with targeted strikes on Hamas operatives in Gaza, killing five.
Jerusalem defended the strikes, saying that the foiled Hamas infiltration earlier on Saturday was a clear breach of the truce.
“Today, Hamas violated the ceasefire again, sending a terrorist into Israel-held territory to attack IDF soldiers. In response, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The White House backed Israel’s decision to kill senior Hamas officials in response to the abortive attack, a US official told The Times of Israel Saturday evening.
The official claimed that the repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hamas terrorists reflects a divide between Hamas’ senior leadership in exile and Hamas commanders in Gaza.
While the politburo supports maintaining the ceasefire, the US official said, Hamas leaders in Gaza are acting on their own accord, escalating tensions with Israel.
The report came shortly after the Saudi outlet Al Arabiya reported that Hamas recently warned White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that the Israeli retaliatory strikes could destroy the ceasefire.
“The agreement is over and [Hamas] is ready to fight,” the report cited Arab sources as saying.
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