Gaza Ceasefire Deal Made in Cooperation with Biden and Trump Teams
Deadlnes make deals.
WaPo (“Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza ceasefire, raising hopes of a reprieve“):
After more than a year of painstaking negotiations, Israel and Hamas agreed Wednesday to a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip that, if implemented, could see nearly three dozen Israeli hostages reunited with their families and give hungry and displaced Palestinians a reprieve from months of violence.
Israel’s government still needs to formally approve the deal, in a vote officials say will take place Thursday morning. But the agreement could mark a first step toward ending a 15-month war that has destroyed Gaza and divided Israelis.
The truce, mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, would begin on Sunday and cover an initial period of 42 days.
“This is one of the toughest negotiations I’ve ever experienced,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday in remarks from the White House. “And I’m deeply satisfied this day has come … for the sake of the people of Israel and the families waiting in agony, and for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war.”
Under the first six-week phase of what mediators hope will evolve into a three-stage process for peace, 33 of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza — mainly women, children, the elderly and wounded — will be released from Hamas captivity in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli detention, in a carefully choreographed sequence that will involve humanitarian groups and coordination between Hamas, Egypt and Israel.
[…]
There was still much that could go wrong during the deal’s implementation, and Israeli officials have emphasized that so far, it is a temporary pause. The thorniest questions — including who will govern and secure Gaza — remain unresolved, and negotiations over these and other issues are expected to begin later in the process.
[…]
The mediators, at least for now, overcame the herculean task of reconciling the diametrically opposed positions of Israel and Hamas. Israel wanted to continue the fighting after a temporary pause and hostage-for-prisoner exchange, while Hamas insisted on a permanent end to the war before it would surrender any captives.
But pressure on both parties pushed them to close the gap. Netanyahu was under fire from hostage families and those who lost loved ones in the war. He was also in potential legal peril abroad, after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In Gaza, Hamas was severely weakened after Israel killed its top leaders and kneecapped regional allies. Residents grew increasingly angry as they struggled to survive the punishing campaign Israel launched in response to the Hamas attacks.
In the end, the deal agreed to Wednesday aligns to a large extent with the phased approach Biden proposed in May: An initial pause in hostilities and release of hostages is intended to lead to “sustainable calm,” according to a joint statement by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Those three countries are meant to serve as guarantors of the deal, and Mohammed said a monitoring body would be established in Cairo.
Biden and Trump each claimed credit for a diplomatic achievement closed through rare foreign-policy collaboration between the outgoing and incoming administrations. As Biden officials carried out the formal diplomacy, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, met with Netanyahu over the weekend to pressure the Israeli prime minister to agree to a deal before Trump’s inauguration.
As unlikely as this seemed even a week ago, most analysts seem optimistic this deal will hold. Hamas has clearly lost and Israel has emerged radically strengthened, with not only Hamas but Hezbollah and the benefactor of both, Iran, considerably weakened.
Not surprisingly, given how much effort he and his team have put into getting here over the past fifteen months, President Biden is frustrated that he’s not getting more credit.
The Hill (“Biden on if Trump will get credit over him for ceasefire deal: ‘Is that a joke?’“):
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.
But, as with the release of the American hostages in Iran—held for almost exactly as long as this war has gone on—as Jimmy Carter was leaving office and Ronald Reagan was being inaugurated, the change of administrations was crucial to the deal.
WaPo (“Biden and Trump jockey for credit in Israel-Hamas hostage deal“):
President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump jockeyed Wednesday for credit for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Hamas and Israel that Biden had long pursued and that came together days before Trump is set to retake the White House.
The Biden and Trump teams worked closely in the days leading up to the deal, talking daily and holding meetings in Qatar and Israel. Biden officials said a meeting Saturday between Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was crucial to closing the deal, and Witkoff has called the Biden administration “the tip of the spear” in talks.
Their cooperation represents a highly unusual moment in the polarized world of U.S. politics, especially given the contentious history between the president and president-elect. But it did not stop both Trump and Biden from touting their respective roles.
Trump declared on social media that “the EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November.” The president-elect, who often boasts of his dealmaking prowess, had pushed for an agreement before his inauguration and threatened last week that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if Israeli hostages were not returned by Inauguration Day, which is Monday.
Trump aides and allies argued that it’s evident that Trump’s approach and imminent return made the difference.
“He made it clear and unambiguous that if the hostages were not released prior to his taking office, there would be hell to pay,” said Matt Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Some Democrats also gave Trump credit. “This was Biden’s deal, but as much as I hate to say it, he couldn’t have done it without Trump — not so much Trump’s performative threats to Hamas, but his willingness to tell Bibi bluntly that the war had to end by Jan. 20,” former Democratic congressman Tom Malinowski wrote on X.
Other groups — such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the families of several American hostages in Gaza — thanked both Biden and Trump in statements on the deal. Biden officials have emphasized the importance of working with the incoming administration, with one senior administration official calling the level of coordination with Witkoff “unprecedented.”
[…]
A diplomat briefed on the negotiations said Hamas’s diminished position aided negotiations, in addition to Trump’s influence, saying this was “the first time there has been real pressure on the Israeli side to accept a deal.” The diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door talks, said the contours of the agreement suggest that Israeli negotiators offered concessions on issues that had previously impeded a breakthrough.
But a senior Biden administration official contested the idea that Trump’s Inauguration Day ultimatum secured a conclusion to talks. The official said that while deadlines can be helpful, the “catalyst” for success was the defeat of Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia; a ceasefire deal in Lebanon; and Hamas’s “massive isolation.”
Trump seized on Democrats’ divisions on the campaign trail, often criticizing Biden as not backing Israel forcefully enough. At the same time, Trump courted Arab American voters who were angry at U.S. support for Israel — a remarkable pivot for a candidate who once called for a “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
That Biden had the foresight and humility to include the incoming administration in the talks despite the obvious animosity between them is a testament to his leadership. That the Trump representative was actually useful in the negotiations welcome, if surprising news.
As to the credit, I would give the lion’s share of it to Netanyahu and company for bringing Hamas to the point where eating a deal it has been rejecting for months was the best option. Next, the Biden administration for both its relentless efforts in pushing negotiations and its politically costly support of the Israeli war effort. But, yes, Trump’s ultimatum clearly helped put additional pressure on Netanyahu and company to come to terms.
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I’m really looking forward to the total historical erasure of the Biden years, Trump will be taking claim for every positive event from 2021-2025, Biden will only exist as the cause of all problems. And The NY Times and WA Post will report what Trump says without fact check. It’s going to be great!! Again!!
Because like with Reagan (and Nixon with the Paris Peace Accords), the Republican was deliberately sabotaging US foreign policy to win the election
@Stormy Dragon: I am not sure how much they had to work on that. I suspect the majority of the sabotage of Biden was done by Netanyahu. The Indicted Israeli Prime Minister has made no secret that he thinks his options are better under Republicans and has made choices to weaken Biden.
For whatever reason Biden, and his advisors, decided that was something they just had to accept.
All that said, a ceasefire is a good thing. The next question is what, if any, serious plans exist for what comes after the direct fighting.
Netanyahu came in a close second to Musk in the Most Helpful to Trump contest. It’s too bad the International Criminal Court is toothless.
Trump forcing Netanyahu and the Israeli right to swallow the crap sandwich Biden’s people suggested eight months ago is wild, but also weirdly predictable. Leopards, faces, and all that.
Will they swallow it tho? I hear Ben-Gvir is now threatening to blow up the government. But that’s Israeli stuff for the Israeli people to figure out. I’d be surprised that this deal — which seems to leave Hamas in power — will be anything more than a pause in hostilities as the belligerents regroup.
I am praying praying praying they get the hostages out first, before the ceasefire collapses.
This hostage deal is months too late — because people like me believed Netanyahu’s lies (Forward, Sruli Fruchter)
The fact is that the dramatic change in administration in the US makes it clear that things weren’t going to be going along as they had over the last 15 months. Same as it was in 1980.
So Hamas like their benefactors did in 1980 knew that dramatic change was in the offing and the “deals” were likely to only get worse. When Hamas breaks this deal, they aren’t likely to fair well over the next four years.
Israel should give free pagers to all the convicted felons they are releasing under this deal.
Just posting a prediction here for the record: If Netanyahu continues to need the right wingers and religious fanatics to stay in power, the cease fire part of the deal will end after the last hostages are home. There will be some real or manufactured violation by Hamas or lone actors in Gaza and Netanyahu will restart the war. After all, Trump has what he wants – he can say “I got the deal Biden couldn’t get”. And the MAGA’s, given their tenuous relationship with reality, will have no trouble with shouting the praises of Trump as the one to bring peace to the Middle East, perhaps even nominating him for a Nobel Peace Prize, even while a war is waging.
@MarkedMan:
Israel’s conception of a cease-fire has been normalized over the last year. And why not? It was easy to do. It’s the kind of deal that America offered up to various native tribes as they stole their land. It’s part of our history, our heritage. More than likely, once they get the hostages back, the urge will be to start fighting again. Hilariously, that was what Israel was offering up, straight-up, to Hamas.
The only reason Trump would try to keep the cease-fire going is that in the next year or so there are going to be endless exposes about the Biden admin and how complicit they were in enabling Israel. Give Trump the credit of stopping what could have been stopped months ago, and he might try to keep Israel in line.
Not so fast: According to CNN, Israel is delaying the vote on the truce.
The campus freak-out over Gaza accomplished nothing but to improve Trump’s chances, encourage Hamas intransigence and encourage Hezbollah/Iran to think they were having a moment.
They could have spent the energy to defend trans rights, but nope. They could have spent their time defending abortion rights, but nope. Or if they actually GAF about ‘genocide’ there’s a real one going on in Sudan, and our pals the UAE are financing it. What a colossal waste of time. Attack Biden and Netanyahu, get President Mumpin. 1968 redux. But they had fun waving flags and chanting, so at least they went outside and took a break from TikTok.
@JKB: This had zero to do with Trump coming in all tough guy. Israel won militarily. They’ve crushed Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and in the process brought down the butcher of Damascus. That’s what changed.
Interesting that you and your MAGA culties, and the anti-Israel Left, both refuse to accept the simple fact that both MAGA and the campus demos, were irrelevant. What matters in the ME is power, and Israel had it.
Where are we now? Israel has disarmed Syria, taken more of the Heights, and closed the Iran supply corridor, crushing Hezbollah. Thanks to Israel the government of Lebanon has a chance to regain control. Thanks to Israel the Assad tyranny is gone. Thanks to Israel, Iran’s strategy is in ruins. Thanks to Israel, Russia is out of the eastern Mediterranean, weakening its malignant influence in Africa.
That is reality, all ignited by Hamas.
This is not a story of good guys and bad guys, it’s a story of raw power, which is all that matters in the ME.
@JKB:
In what way?
@JKB:
Classy as always.
@JKB:
Trump and Ben-Gvir included?
Which kind of ignores Reagans under-handed negotiations and the sordid Iran-Contra Affair. But hey, our memories are truncated.
@JKB:
Okay…well in 80 Reagan was illegally selling arms for hostages. What corrupt action are you accusing Trump of? Certainly you don’t think a dough-boy with pancake make-up, diapers, and elevator shoes, is scaring anyone?
@JKB: Look everyone! Our long-fingered typing Macaque is attempting to convince us that because the Orange Ape ordered an average Iranian General smoked—that everyone in the ME is afraid of the Orange one. How cute!
A natural tendency of typing primates is to project their personal fears onto other creatures, regardless of habitat or observations. Despite human observation that the behavior of ME belligerents was the same both before AND after the killing of said (average) General, typing primates (including the long-fingered Macaque who pesters this forum for peanuts) are afraid of the thought of violence against them personally. Knowing they themselves would crap their fur in said situation—they naturally assume other populations of primates also would crap their fur if a larger primate like, say, an orange ape, would target them.
Our typing Macaque and the other apes that frequent here, unconsciously betray their position in the hierarchy of primates—not understanding that only Beta primates are afraid to challenge alpha primates and simply fall in line. While not all Alpha are equal, they are at least up for the challenge of who is the greater Alpha. Betas—easily scurry away with a whimper.
@Jim Brown 32:
@CSK: Of course they are. But only because they want it to be permanent, equitable, and offer a final solution to the Palestine problem.
@Crusty Dem: like the ‘ClintonObama Administration’ which had 9/11, the Iraq War, ChiCom COVID [did and did not exist], the invention of vaccines, Jan 6 [which was an Antifa false flag]! Etc.
@Barry:
Do.. do you need us to call 911 for you?
@Assad K:
I think Barry was being sarcastic.
The Israeli cabinet has pushed the vote to Saturday.