Overview
- U.S. officials told Axios the White House privately warned Netanyahu that killing Hamas deputy commander Raed Saad violated the Trump‑brokered ceasefire.
- Those officials said Israel carried out the operation without notifying or consulting Washington in advance.
- President Trump told reporters the United States is looking into whether the strike breached the truce and he publicly dismissed talk of a rift with Netanyahu.
- Israel argues Hamas broke the agreement first and says Saad’s killing was meant to preserve the ceasefire; Gaza health authorities reported five additional deaths and 25 wounded in the strike.
- Senior Trump aides Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner are described as increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu as disagreements persist over moving to phase two and assembling the International Stabilization Force ahead of a planned Dec. 29 meeting at Mar‑a‑Lago.