The Ceasefire Was Trump’s Deal. Israel Broke It Anyway.
By Brian Allen
The White House privately warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza violated the ceasefire agreement brokered by President Trump, according to two U.S. officials cited by Axios.
The message was unusually blunt. And it exposes a growing rift between the Trump administration and Netanyahu’s government over Gaza, regional strategy, and the credibility of U.S.-brokered agreements.
What happened
Over the weekend, Israeli forces carried out a strike in Gaza City that killed Raed Saad, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing and an alleged architect of the October 7 attacks. The strike killed four people in total.
According to U.S. officials, Israel did not notify or consult the United States ahead of the operation. The White House subsequently sent a “stern private message” to Netanyahu stating that the strike constituted a violation of the ceasefire agreement Trump personally helped broker.
Publicly, Trump said the administration was “looking into” whether Israel violated the ceasefire, while emphasizing that his relationship with Netanyahu remains strong. Privately, the tone was far less forgiving.
The White House message
One senior U.S. official described the warning in stark terms:
“If you want to ruin your reputation and show that you don’t abide by agreements, be our guest. But we won’t allow you to ruin President Trump’s reputation after he brokered the deal in Gaza.”
Israeli officials acknowledged U.S. displeasure but claimed the message was milder and framed around Arab perceptions. U.S. officials disputed that characterization, saying the White House was unequivocal that Israel violated the agreement.
Israel responded that Hamas had already breached the ceasefire through attacks on Israeli soldiers and renewed weapons smuggling, and that killing Saad was a defensive measure intended to preserve the truce.
Why this matters
Trump’s ceasefire was designed to be the foundation for a broader regional reset, including movement toward a second phase in Gaza and renewed efforts to expand the Abraham Accords. When Israel acts unilaterally in ways Washington considers a violation, it undercuts the administration’s ability to sell the deal to Arab partners and to present itself as an effective broker.
The frustration inside the White House appears deep. Axios reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner have all grown increasingly exasperated with Netanyahu’s inflexibility on Gaza and regional issues.
A pattern of tension
The Gaza strike is only the latest flashpoint. According to U.S. officials:
Israeli cross-border strikes in Syria are seen as undermining U.S. efforts to stabilize the al-Sharaa government.
Settler violence in the West Bank is creating political obstacles to normalization with Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu has resisted moving forward with the second phase of the Gaza deal, which would require further Israeli troop withdrawals.
Trump reportedly told Netanyahu in a recent phone call that he needs to be a “better partner” on Gaza.
The broader signal
For years, Netanyahu has relied on the assumption that U.S. political backing, particularly from Republican administrations, comes with few constraints. This episode suggests that the assumption is being tested.
The White House is signaling that while it will not dictate Israel’s security decisions, it expects adherence to agreements that bear the president’s name and political capital.
That distinction matters. Agreements only function if violations carry consequences, even among allies.
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Bottom line
The Trump administration’s private rebuke of Netanyahu reveals a rare moment of friction beneath the surface of a traditionally close relationship.
Israel killed a senior Hamas commander. The White House says it broke the ceasefire. Netanyahu says he was enforcing it.
What is clear is that the U.S. is increasingly unwilling to absorb the political cost of Israeli actions that complicate its regional strategy. Whether that frustration translates into real leverage remains to be seen.
But the message has been delivered: Trump’s deal was broken, and Washington noticed.