President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, offering his support to Israel and declaring that those responsible for the Hamas-led attack are now “paying a very big price.”

“I spoke with Bibi Netanyahu, and I wished him well, and I wished the people of Israel well. That was a horrible day, a horrible tragedy – horrible,” Trump told reporters.

Trump then delivered a pointed message about the consequences faced by those responsible for the attack.

“The other side is paying a very big price for what they did on October 7, believe me,” the president said.

Trump did not disclose precisely when the conversation with Netanyahu took place or reveal whether the two leaders discussed other issues during the call.

The conversation came as Israel marked three years since the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when approximately 1,200 people were murdered and 251 were abducted into Gaza.

Memorial ceremonies were held across Israel on Wednesday, including in communities along the Gaza border and at the site of the Nova music festival massacre, as survivors, bereaved families and officials commemorated the victims of the deadliest terror attack in Israel’s history.

Trump’s remarks come as the situation in Gaza remains unresolved despite the ceasefire and hostage agreement reached under his administration last year.

The first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan produced a ceasefire and the release of the remaining living hostages held in Gaza, but several of the plan’s central objectives have yet to be fully implemented.

Most significantly, Hamas has not been fully disarmed, Israel has not completed the withdrawal envisioned under the plan, and the enormous task of rebuilding Gaza has barely begun. Israel continues to control roughly two-thirds of the Gaza Strip, while military operations have continued despite the ceasefire framework.

In July, Trump announced what he called a “HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” describing it as a major step in the implementation of his 20-point Gaza plan.

Under the framework, Hamas is to surrender its weapons in stages, Israeli forces are to withdraw as the disarmament process is completed, and an International Stabilization Force is eventually to work alongside a new Palestinian police force to maintain security.

Implementation, however, has proven difficult. Israel has maintained that it will not complete its withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, while disagreements have persisted over how that disarmament would be carried out and verified.

The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025. The Hamas-run ministry does not distinguish in its figures between civilians and combatants.

Meanwhile, the Trump-created Board of Peace has sought to move forward with reconstruction plans despite the unresolved security situation. In September, the board unveiled an initial $2.45 billion program aimed at beginning reconstruction and governance projects in the devastated territory.

The scale of the rebuilding challenge is far greater. International estimates have placed Gaza’s long-term reconstruction and recovery needs in the tens of billions of dollars, with the United Nations and European Union estimating that the process could require more than $70 billion over the coming decade.

Against that backdrop, Trump’s anniversary conversation with Netanyahu offered no indication of a new diplomatic breakthrough. Instead, the president focused publicly on the enormity of the Oct. 7 attack and the consequences that have followed for those responsible.

“The other side is paying a very big price for what they did on October 7, believe me,” Trump said.

{Matzav.com}