India, Oct. 20 -- US President Donald Trump on Sunday maintained that the ceasefire in Gaza was "still holding," even as Israeli air strikes killed at least 45 people across the besieged territory. The escalation came after Israel accused Hamas of violating the nine-day-old truce by targeting its troops in southern Gaza.

Speaking to reporters, Trump, who helped broker the truce, downplayed the tensions. "Yeah, it is," he said when asked if the ceasefire was still in effect. He added that he believed the breaches may have been carried out by "some rebels within" rather than Hamas leadership. "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."

However, when a...