In breaking reports, US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday declared that Israel and Hamas have clinched a hostage deal and, in the agreement, the battling in Gaza should stop.
"Today (Wednesday), after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal," Biden announced, making the deal the last foreign policy accomplishment of his administration which ends on January 20.
This deal will end the fighting in Gaza, surge needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunify the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity, Biden said.
Biden, at 82, will be succeeded by Donald Trump, 78, as the 47th President of the United States, on January 20. Trump welcomed the deal.
This historic ceasefire agreement could only have been achieved because of our great victory in November because it sent a message to the rest of the world that my administration was going to look for peace and negotiate deals that would keep every American safe and our allies, so I'm very happy American and Israeli hostages will be going home to their families and loved ones," Trump said.
In his statement, Biden said he laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council. 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 the weakening of Iran—but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy. "My diplomacy never stopped in its efforts to make this happen," he said.
Even with that news coming our way today, we continue to remember the families whose loved ones were massacred by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack, as well as so many innocent others lost in the war itself. It's way past due that the fighting stopped and the work began in building peace and security instead.
I am also, thinking of the American families, three of whom have living hostages in Gaza and four awaiting the return of remains after what has been the most horrible ordeal imaginable. Under this deal, we are determined to bring all of them home," Biden said.
Days before the inauguration, Trump said with this deal in place, his National Security team through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue working closely with Israel and its Allies to make sure Gaza never again becomes a terrorist haven.
"We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build on the momentum of this ceasefire to expand the Historic Abraham Accords further. This is only the beginning of great things to come for America and indeed the World," he said.
"We've had such success without even being in the White House. Just imagine all the amazing things that are going to happen when I go back to the White House, and my administration is all confirmed so they can get more wins for the United States!" Trump said.
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