The White House has reportedly sent a strongly worded private message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing a recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
According to sources cited by the US-based news outlet Axios, the message was delivered shortly after an Israeli attack killed Raed Saad, deputy commander of Hamas’s military wing. The strike reportedly left four people dead. The ceasefire in Gaza had been brokered by former US President Donald Trump.
A senior US official was quoted as saying that the White House made its position clear to Netanyahu: if he chooses to damage his own credibility by appearing to disregard agreements, that is his decision—but the United States would not allow him to undermine President Trump’s reputation after successfully mediating the Gaza ceasefire.
US officials further stated that the Israeli government neither informed Washington in advance nor consulted with US authorities before carrying out the strike.
Hamas’s chief in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed in a televised address that Raed Saad was killed in the Israeli attack. Saad had reportedly been the target of multiple Israeli assassination attempts prior to his death in a Saturday airstrike.
The attack took place despite a ceasefire agreement that came into effect in Gaza on October 10. Since the agreement was signed, Israeli forces have allegedly violated the ceasefire multiple times, resulting in the deaths of at least 391 Palestinians and injuries to 1,063 others.
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed more than 70,600 people, the majority of them women and children. More than 171,100 people have been injured, with violence continuing despite the declared ceasefire.
