White House Reportedly Sent Netanyahu Scathing Message After He Violated Gaza Ceasefire

The White House reprimanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for breaking the country’s ceasefire with Hamas, according to a Monday report.

The private message came after Israel killed a senior Hamas military commander and an alleged architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, Raed Saad, on Saturday, breaching the peace deal negotiated by President Donald Trump, Axios reported.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner have grown frustrated with Netanyahu, two U.S. officials told Axios. (RELATED: How The US-Israel Alliance Has Evolved, For Better And Worse, A Year Into Trump)

One official said Witkoff and Kushner have become “pissed by Israeli inflexibility around several Gaza-related issues,” according to Axios.

“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,” the White House’s message allegedly read, according to a senior U.S. official cited by Axios.

An Israeli official verified that the White House was upset but asserted the message was milder, saying that only “certain Arab countries” considered the strike a ceasefire violation, according to Axios.

While the U.S. officials said the White House was adamant that the killing was a breach of the agreement, the Israeli official claimed Hamas had violated the ceasefire by attacking soldiers and smuggling weapons, the outlet reported.

“The killing of Raed Saad, an arch-terrorist who worked day in and day out to violate the agreement and renew the fighting, was carried out in response to these violations and was intended to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire,” the Israeli official told Axios.

The White House has not responded to the Daily Caller’s request to verify the message as of publication.

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said Sunday that the terrorist organization’s weapons “are a legitimate right guaranteed under international law to all nations under occupation,” according to The Times of Israel.

“We are open to studying any proposals to preserve this right while guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and self-determination for our Palestinian nation,” he continued.

Khalil al-Hayya, senior leader and top Hamas legislative candidate, smiles during an interview with AFP at his office in Gaza City on April 21, 2021. – Postponing elections “even for a single day” will push Palestinians “into the unknown”, al-Hayya warned in an interview ahead of a long-awaited vote that is clouded with uncertainty. On May 22, Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem are scheduled to vote for the first time since 2006. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)

The White House is also becoming more concerned about settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, believing the policies of Israel are harming the administration’s efforts to extend the Abraham Accords to countries like Saudi Arabia, Axios reported, citing a senior U.S. official and a source with knowledge.

However, the official believes a balance can be struck.

“The U.S. doesn’t ask Netanyahu to compromise Israel’s security. We ask him not to take steps that are perceived in the Arab world as provocations,” the U.S. official told Axios.

A U.S. official also emphasized the importance of de-escalation to Axios.

“The Trump administration is doing a lot of hard work to fix it. But if Netanyahu doesn’t want to take the steps that are needed to de-escalate, we are not going to waste our time trying to expand the Abraham Accords,” the U.S. official said.

Trump is expected to meet with Netanyahu at the end of the month.