
The outgoing President of the United States, Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both laying claims for the decision of Israel and Hamas to a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
New Telegraph had earlier reported that Israel and Hamas have finally agreed to a ceasefire.
The claims are coming after the White House brought Trump’s Middle East envoy into months-long negotiations and wasted no time in asserting he was the moving force behind the deal.
Biden, also, stressed that the deal was reached under “the precise contours” of a plan that he set out in late May.
“This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signalled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on Truth social.
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“I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”
Trump added that his incoming Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff — who was participating in the talks in Doha, Qatar — would continue “to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
Biden said from the White House that “my diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”
“It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” Biden said.
The jostling comes with both Biden and Trump determined to see the deal become a set piece of Middle East success for the legacy of their presidency.
Biden’s administration worked for months to broker peace in talks that inched frustratingly close to success before repeatedly breaking down.
Trump, for his part, had warned of “hell to pay” if a deal wasn’t done by his inauguration — in five days.