United States President Donald Trump said yesterday that the Gaza ceasefire was still holding after Israel carried out deadly strikes on the territory over alleged truce violations by Hamas, AFP reports.

The dozens of strikes Israel carried out on Hamas positions in southern Gaza yesterday came after it accused the militant group of targeting its troops in “a blatant violation” of the nine-day-old truce.

Asked by reporters whether the truce was still in effect, Trump said: “Yeah, it is.” He also suggested that Hamas leadership was not involved in any alleged breaches, instead blaming “some rebels within”.

“We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump said. “It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”

Gaza’s civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said the strikes killed at least 45 people across the territory.