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<h1
class="gmail-post__title gmail-mt-[22px] gmail-xl:mt-0 gmail-xl:underline gmail-decoration-[#eee] gmail-decoration-1 gmail-underline-offset-4">
Netanyahu Is Blowing Up the Gaza Ceasefire \u2014 and Trump Is the
One Losing Face </h1>
<p class="gmail-post__excerpt gmail-mt-3"> Netanyahu ordered
airstrikes on Gaza on Tuesday, raising the question of whether
the U.S. would hold him accountable for maintaining the
ceasefire. </p>
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<a
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October 28 2025 - <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/10/28/ceasefire-gaza-israel-netanyahu-bombing/"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://theintercept.com/2025/10/28/ceasefire-gaza-israel-netanyahu-bombing/</a></div>
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alt="JERUSALEM - OCTOBER 22: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - 'MARC ISRAEL SELLEM / POOL' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) speak to the media before the interdelegational meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in West Jerusalem, on October 22, 2025. (Photo by POOL / Marc Israel Sellem / Handout /Anadolu via Getty Images)"
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class="gmail-image__caption gmail-pt-3 gmail-mb-10 gmail-text-left gmail-font-mono gmail-text-[13px] gmail-leading-[1.53] gmail-text-body">
<span>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with
Vice President JD Vance in Jerusalem on Oct. 22, 2025.</span>
<span class="gmail-text-[#7e7e7e]">Photo: Marc Israel
Sellem/Anadolu via Getty Images</span> </div>
<div class="entry-content entry-content--new"
id="gmail-netanyahu-is-blowing-up-the-gaza-ceasefire-and-trump-is-the-one-losing-face">
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<p><span class="gmail-has-underline">Israeli bombs rained</span>
down once again across Gaza on Tuesday after Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his military to
\u201cimmediately carry out powerful strikes,\u201d in the most
serious challenge to the current ceasefire agreement to
date. </p>
<p>The bombing killed at least 20 people, according to Gaza
officials. It came just four days after Secretary of State
Marco Rubio toured a new U.S. military base in Israel, a <a
href="https://defenseopinion.com/deployment-of-u-s-forces-into-israel-is-rare-during-conflict/461/"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">rare</a> deployment of U.S.
forces meant to signal that President Donald Trump was
serious about maintaining the end to the bombardment of
Gaza. </p>
<p>\u201cThere is no plan B,\u201d Rubio said on the tour, rebuffing
an Israeli reporter\u2019s question of whether Israel needed
Trump\u2019s permission before resuming its attacks on Gaza.
\u201cThis is the best plan, it\u2019s the only plan, it\u2019s one that
we think can succeed.\u201d</p>
<p>According to <a
href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-hamas-gaza-82b5b46cdbddd690dd28b7a8674d40d4"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">The Associated Press</a>, Israel
notified the Trump administration before conducting
Tuesday\u2019s strikes \u2014 presenting the question of whether the
U.S. would hold Netanyahu accountable for the latest round
of ceasefire violations.</p>
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<p>\u201cAll eyes now are going to be on Washington,\u201d said Yousef
Munayyer, head of the Palestine/Israel Program at Arab
Center Washington DC. \u201cWould they really be a referee that
calls balls and strikes fairly? Or were they just there
for decoration and were they just going to allow the
Israelis to get away with murder, as they always have?\u201d</p>
<p>Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance
signaled that they would opt for the latter. He described
the attacks as \u201clittle skirmishes here and there\u201d and said
that \u201cthe ceasefire is holding.\u201d </p>
<div class="gmail-promote-related-post"> <a
class="gmail-promo-related-post__link"
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/10/15/israel-ceasefire-violations-gaza-aid/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> <img width="408" height="408"
src="https://theintercept.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2240749114-e1760540972243.jpg?w=440&h=440&crop=1"
class="gmail-attachment-thumbnail gmail-size-thumbnail" alt=""
style="margin-right: 0px;" moz-do-not-send="true"><span
class="gmail-promo-related-post__text">
<h3 class="gmail-promote-related-post__title">Israel\u2019s
Mounting Ceasefire Violations in Gaza</h3>
</span></a>
<p><a class="gmail-promo-related-post__link"
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/10/15/israel-ceasefire-violations-gaza-aid/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> </a> </p>
</div>
<p>\u201cWe know that Hamas or somebody else within Gaza attacked
an [Israeli military] soldier,\u201d Vance said. \u201cWe expect the
Israelis are going to respond, but I think the president\u2019s
peace is going to hold despite that.\u201d</p>
<p>Israel\u2019s strikes on Tuesday mostly targeted Gaza City,
including the courtyard of the al-Shifa Hospital, the
Strip\u2019s largest medical complex, and apartment complexes
throughout the city, according to Al-Aqsa TV, a station
run by Hamas. Other strikes hit Khan Younis and Deir
al-Balah. Among the 20 killed in the attacks were
civilians and at least one child, Al-Aqsa reported.</p>
<p>Israeli officials claimed Tuesday that Hamas fighters had
fired on Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza, while Hamas <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/oct/28/middle-east-crisis-israel-gaza-benjamin-netanyahu-orders-strikes-hamas-live-latest-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6901161b8f088d0f81728006#block-6901161b8f088d0f81728006"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">denied</a> responsibility for the
attacks.</p>
<p>It was the latest of several instances in which the
Israeli government pushed the notion that Hamas was the
one in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli
officials have accused Hamas of intentionally <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/10/15/israel-ceasefire-violations-gaza-aid/"
moz-do-not-send="true">delaying</a> the<a
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/10/17/briefing-podcast-gaza-ceasefire-deal/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> return of the remains of Israeli
hostages</a>, a claim on which even the U.S. has cast
doubt. Speaking to reporters on his own visit to the new
U.S. base in Israel last week, Vance urged \u201ca little bit
of patience,\u201d citing the difficulty of uncovering bodies
buried under tons of rubble of destroyed buildings.</p>
<p>The International Committee of the Red Cross, which is
assisting and overseeing the return of hostages, continues
to work with Hamas\u2019s search crews \u2014 though the group
issued a <a
href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/unacceptable-red-cross-criticizes-hamas-for-staged-recovery-of-hostages-remains/"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">statement</a> on Tuesday reacting
to drone <a
href="https://x.com/IDF/status/1983179859951034576"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">footage Israel released</a>,
which it purports to show Hamas reburying hostage remains
to stage a recovery for the Red Cross. The video and the
claim have not been independently verified. The Red Cross
said it was \u201craising its concerns directly with the
parties\u201d and called on both sides to follow international
humanitarian law while handling remains. Many of the
Palestinian bodies returned by Israel, meanwhile, have
shown signs of <a
href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gz3r46e37o"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">abuse and torture</a>.</p>
<p>Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages within the
required 72 hours and has since returned the remains of 15
of the 28 deceased Israelis. The ceasefire deal included a
stipulation that allowed Hamas leeway beyond the initial
72 hours to continue its search for the remaining bodies,
as long as it continues to communicate with the Red
Cross. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>\u201cThey want Palestinians to do anything to react just to
complete their mission.\u201d</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Meanwhile, the Israeli government has gone to lengths to
undermine the peace process. Israel is still <a
href="https://www.nrc.no/news/2025/october/mounting-alarm-as-israeli-authorities-reject-ngo-applications-to-transport-life-saving-aid-into-gaza"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">limiting</a> the amount of
humanitarian aid to enter Gaza; it has continued to block
the Rafah border, an essential crossing for aid transfers;
and it has continued a range of attacks on Palestinians,
including a wave of airstrikes on October 19 that killed
at least 26 Gazans, including civilians. One of the
attacks struck a school sheltering displaced families in
Nuseirat. Israel has also continued to demolish large
swaths of city infrastructure within the more than 50
percent of the Strip that remains under its military
control. Beyond Gaza, Israel has conducted mass military
raids and an airstrike in the West Bank, where daily
settler violence against Palestinians continues unabated.</p>
<p>\u201cThey are trying to push the Palestinians to react,\u201d said
Ramy Abdu, chair of Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights
Monitor, a watchdog that has tracked Israel\u2019s targeting of
civilians in Gaza. \u201cThis is their strategy, they want
Palestinians to do anything to react just to complete
their mission.\u201d</p>
<div class="gmail-promote-related-post"> <a
class="gmail-promo-related-post__link"
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/10/26/mohammed-ibrahim-palestinian-american-child-israel-prison/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> <img width="408" height="408"
src="https://theintercept.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mohammed-Ibrahim.jpg?w=440&h=440&crop=1"
class="gmail-attachment-thumbnail gmail-size-thumbnail" alt=""
style="margin-right: 0px;" moz-do-not-send="true"> <span
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<p>Abdu said he thinks Israel was never serious about
holding to the ceasefire agreement but rather has looked
for reasons to resume its attacks. On Tuesday, Israel\u2019s
far-right National Security Minister Itamar
Ben-Gvir claimed that Hamas \u201ccontinues to play games\u201d in a
social media <a
href="https://x.com/itamarbengvir/status/1983082989132153324"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">post</a> on X, calling on
Netanyahu to resume the bombing. </p>
<p>\u201cIf Israel has the genuine intention to bring their
hostages back, then it will facilitate every effort to get
them back, not articulating these kinds of stories and
fabricated images,\u201d Abdu said.</p>
<p>Hamas, for its part, <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/oct/28/middle-east-crisis-israel-gaza-benjamin-netanyahu-orders-strikes-hamas-live-latest-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6901161b8f088d0f81728006#block-6901161b8f088d0f81728006"
rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"
aria-describedby="targetBlankDescription"
moz-do-not-send="true">maintains</a> it is committed to
upholding the deal and has accused the Israelis of barring
entry to teams and heavy machinery to complete the
digging.</p>
<br>
<a class="gmail-promote-banner__link"
href="https://theintercept.com/collections/israel-palestine/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> <span
class="gmail-promote-banner__image"> <img width="300"
height="150"
src="https://theintercept.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GettyImages-1768403880-2.jpg?fit=300%2C150"
class="gmail-attachment-medium gmail-size-medium"
alt="DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA - NOVEMBER 7: Civil defense teams and citizens continue search and rescue operations after an airstrike hits the building belonging to the Maslah family during the 32nd day of Israeli attacks in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza on November 7, 2023. (Photo by Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)"
moz-do-not-send="true"> </span>
<div class="gmail-promote-banner__text">
<p class="gmail-promote-banner__eyebrow"> Read our
complete coverage </p>
<h2 class="gmail-promote-banner__title">Israel\u2019s War on
Gaza</h2>
</div>
</a>
<p><a class="gmail-promote-banner__link"
href="https://theintercept.com/collections/israel-palestine/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> </a> </p>
<p>Israel\u2019s resumed aggression fits into a pattern that
we\u2019ve seen before, Munayyer added. During previous
ceasefires in November 2023 and this January, Israel
retrieved as many hostages as it could to soften blowback
from its citizens, then<a
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/03/19/israel-gaza-ceasefire-hamas/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> restarted attacks on Gaza</a>,
Munayyer pointed out.</p>
<p>And while the U.S. is the major player, it\u2019s not the only
one with sway. Leading up to the ceasefire deal, the
European Union and several major Western countries \u2014 the
United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Australia \u2014 began to
threaten Israel with sanctions or the<a
href="https://theintercept.com/2025/09/25/palestine-statehood-israel-arms-sales/"
moz-do-not-send="true"> formal recognition of a
Palestinian state</a> if it did not halt its genocide,
likely responding to mass protests from their citizens. </p>
<p>\u201cThe Israelis are now trying to create a narrative that
Hamas violated the ceasefire and therefore the agreement\u2019s
off,\u201d Munayyer said. \u201cIs the international community going
to buy that?\u201d</p>
<p><strong>Update: October 28, 2025, 6:15 p.m. ET</strong></p>
<p><em>This story has been updated to increase the death
toll from Israel\u2019s latest airstrikes on Gaza as new
numbers emerged.</em></p>
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