President Biden brushed off a question about who would get the credit for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal struck Wednesday.
“Is that a joke?” Biden responded when asked by a reporter whether he or President-elect Trump would get credit for the deal, which could bring an end to the 15-month conflict in Gaza.
Trump publicly celebrated the news of the deal before an official statement from the White House was released hours later. The president-elect also claimed the credit for himself, saying a deal would not have happened without his victory in November over Vice President Harris.
While announcing the deal with Harris by his side, Biden acknowledged it will be implemented after he leaves office and said his team has been working with Trump’s incoming team. Trump is set to be sworn in Monday.
“I’d also note, this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented, for the most part, by the next administration. For these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team,” the president said in remarks from the White House.
He also highlighted that the deal is the same framework of a deal his administration helped negotiate in May, and that Israel was able to weaken Hamas with the help of aid from the U.S.
“I knew this deal would have to be implemented by the next team, so I told my team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure we’re all speaking with the same voice, because that’s what America’s presidents do,” Biden said.
Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, worked closely with Biden’s negotiators to reach a conclusion on the deal. Trump, in his statement, said Witkoff and his incoming national security team “will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
The Biden administration has been working for months on a ceasefire deal, following more than a year of fighting since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel, and Israel’s subsequent war against the U.S.-designated terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.
Trump, meanwhile, had warned that “all hell” would break loose in the Middle East if hostages were not released before he is sworn in Monday.
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