Trump says US is reviewing if Israel violated Gaza ceasefire by killing Hamas commander

The United States is examining whether Israel violated the ceasefire in Gaza by killing senior Hamas commander Raed Saad in an airstrike on 13 December 2025.

Speaking to reporters on 16 December, US President Donald Trump said: “We're going to have to see. We're looking into that,” when asked whether the action was a breach of the truce agreed on 10 October and brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet intelligence agency, Saad was killed in an airstrike while travelling in a vehicle in the Gaza City area. The IDF described him as a key figure in Hamas’s military command structure, who had violated the ceasefire by continuing to plan and carry out attacks against Israeli troops.

Saad previously led Hamas’s operations headquarters and established the group’s elite Nukhba unit. He was later appointed head of its military manufacturing division, overseeing the production of a wide range of weapons, including those used in the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. Israeli officials said that during the war, he led efforts to reconstitute Hamas’s weapons production capabilities.

Explosives manufactured under his command were reportedly responsible for the deaths of several Israeli soldiers.

The strike followed an incident in which two Israeli soldiers were wounded by an explosive device in southern Gaza. Israel said Saad was directly involved in that and other violations of the ceasefire.

Alongside Saad, three other individuals were killed in the airstrike near al-Nabulsi Square in western Gaza City. Hamas later identified them as Riyad al Labban, Abd al Hayy Zaqout, and Yahya al Kayali. While the roles of Zaqout and Kayali are unclear, Labban is believed to have served as Saad’s bodyguard.

The killing has heightened tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv. According to a report by Axios, the White House sent a stern private message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that the operation was seen as a violation of the ceasefire.

The same report cited unnamed US officials stating that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff have become increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu over what they perceive as repeated breaches of the agreement.

Despite these tensions, Trump reaffirmed his personal relationship with Netanyahu, saying: “I have a very good relationship with Netanyahu.” The two leaders are due to meet on 29 December, where they are expected to discuss ceasefire compliance and the second phase of the agreement.

That phase includes the deployment of an international stabilisation force in Gaza. Trump noted that the force is already operational and will be strengthened with the involvement of additional countries.

Since the 10 October truce was signed, both Hamas and Israel have accused one another of violations. Hamas claims that Israel has carried out more than 700 breaches, resulting in the deaths of over 350 Palestinians, according to figures from Gaza’s Government Media Office.

Israeli leaders have maintained that their military operations target individuals who continue hostile activities despite the ceasefire. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz defended the strike on Saad as an act of enforcement against ceasefire violations.

The US has not publicly stated whether it considers the strike to be a breach of the ceasefire, but pressure is expected to build in the lead-up to the Trump–Netanyahu meeting.

With the ceasefire already under strain, the outcome of that meeting may prove decisive for the stability of the current arrangement and the future of regional diplomacy.