Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza, which is set to take effect on Sunday, signaling the possible beginning of the endgame in the 15-month war.
The key terms of the deal include the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas militants seized during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The details of the deal also call for Israel to allow humanitarian aid to begin to flow into Gaza, and to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced by the war to return to what remains of their homes.
“This ceasefire announcement will reunite families with their loves ones by securing the release of innocent Israelis, Americans, and other individuals who were abducted by Hamas in their brutal Oct. 7 terror attacks and have continued to be held for more than 460 days. It will also bring sorely needed respite to civilians in Gaza who have been suffering for too long in the face of extreme hunger, death, and widespread destruction,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Good news here, right?
Well, that this is happening in the final days of the presidency of Joe Biden is not sitting well with Donald Trump, who likes to take credit for things, and hates it when other people get credit.
“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,” Trump wrote on social media.
Pathetic.
Biden said in remarks delivered from the White House that the deal was reached under the “precise contours” of a plan that his administration had devised last spring.
“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.
It’s being reported that the Biden team invited participation from the incoming Trump team, in the form of a Trump-appointed envoy, Steve Witkoff, primarily to ensure that Trump wouldn’t renege on a possible deal when he takes office.
“The involvement of President-elect Trump’s team has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. “And it’s been critical because obviously, as I stand today, this administration’s term in office will expire in five days.”
Basically, the war has killed more than 46,000 people in Gaza, we’re on the verge of a deal to end it, but we have to let Grandpa think it’s his deal, so that he won’t abandon it.
The focus in the here and now is there: on making sure Trump doesn’t gum up the works.
“I’m grateful for the Biden Administration’s tireless efforts to negotiate a deal, which I have long called for, to reunite hostage families and flood Gaza with desperately-needed humanitarian assistance,” said U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “This agreement marks an important step toward a lasting peace. It is in the best interest of hostage families, the Israeli and Palestinian people, and U.S. civilians and military personnel throughout the region that we continue to build on this progress. That will mean additional steps to prevent further regional escalation by Houthis, Hezbollah, and other proxy actors, provide all Palestinians with the opportunity to go back home in Gaza and the West Bank, and chart a path that leads to what was promised to Israelis and Palestinians more than 75 years ago: two states living peacefully as neighbors.”