Trump Takes Credits for Gaza Deal while Biden Talks Diplomacy
Image credit X @eduardomenoni
Trump Threat of ‘All Hell Will Break Out’ in Spotlight over Gaza Deal
By Raisina Correspondent
New Delhi, January 16: The US President, Joe Biden, while announcing the Gaza ceasefire deal said that diplomacy had always been at work to work out peace between Israel and the Hamas. The US President-elect, Donald Trump, credited the outcome of the November elections for the truce deal.
But the Biden and Trump teams had been collaborating in the last few days to get Israel onboard to agree to the deal. The Middle East observers have claimed that the ceasefire deal is almost the same as unveiled in May last year.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller spoke of the collaborations of the Biden and Trump teams in achieving the Gaza ceasefire deal. “When it comes to the involvement of President-elect Trump’s team, it has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line,” said Miller at the official briefing on Wednesday.
Miller also thanked the Trump team for “working with us on this ceasefire agreement”. “We think it’s important that they were at the table,” added Miller.
Biden’s Middle East points man Brett McGurk and Steve Witcoff from the Trump team worked together for the Gaza ceasefire deal, reports said. Trump in his press conference after the election victory had said “all hell will break out in the Middle East if Hamas does not release the remaining captives it holds”.
Reports said that a few of the American hostages will be walking free in the first phase of the execution of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Five Israeli women soldiers will first be released on Sunday along with Palestinian prioners.
“The collaboration of the two key officials of the Biden administration and the Trump team is a historically unprecedented, highly fruitful partnership,” said American journalist Nick Schifrin in a post on X.
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“The two at one point even coordinated to split up,” said Schifrin, adding that “Witkoff flew to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while McGurk stayed with mediators in Qatar”. “It’s quite remarkable and speaks to what can be done when the country sets a common objective. McGurk has been very fortunate to be joined in these last 96 hours by Witkoff,” he added while quoting administrative officials.
Trump posted a long message on social media platforms, saying “Witkoff will continue to work with our allies in the Middle east to ensure that Gaza never becomes a terrorist state”.
Gaza health officials claim that over 45000 civilians have been killed in Israeli bombardments of the enclave. The Hamas had attacked Israel on October 7 in 2023, killing 1200 people while also taking a large number of hostages.
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