As Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal in a landmark development in the ongoing 15-month devasting war in the Gaza strip, Republicans started thanking incoming president Donald Trump for the major breakthrough. However, Trump is yet to take over the office and the deal came after weeks of painstaking negotiations in Doha between the two sides.
But Donald Trump took credit for the deal as he wrote on Truth Social that it could have only happened because of his victory in November. How? Trump said his victory signaled to the world that he would not put up with anything but peace. “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones,” Trump said taking credit.
Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, in his own posting on X also credited Trump calling the development, “The Trump Effect.”
Joe Biden in his final foreign policy speech as president said discussion on the proposal that he laid out in detail months ago was coming to fruition.
Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population and sparked a humanitarian crisis.
More than 100 hostages were freed from Gaza in a weeklong truce in November 2023.
Israel-Hamas deal: What happens now?
The ceasefire agreement, if approved by the Israeli cabinet, will end a protracted process in which multiple ceasefire proposals collapsed following last-minute demands from both sides.
The full details of the deal are yet to be revealed but according to some key points released, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a six-week ceasefire which is seen as an initial phase to stop the fighting. During this phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from central Gaza, allowing the return of displaced Palestinians to the northern part of the enclave. Hamas will also release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women, children, and men over 50, during this initial phase.
