WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump hailed an “epic” ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday — and claimed credit for an agreement that comes days before he is due to be sworn in for his second term.
“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!” Trump said on his Truth Social network, before any official announcement from outgoing President Joe Biden’s White House.
Trump had warned Hamas of “hell to pay” if it did not free the captives before he took office, and envoys from both his incoming administration and Biden’s outgoing one had been present at the latest negotiations.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November,” Trump added in a lengthy second post.
The Republican said his 2024 US election win had “signalled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies.”
He added that he was “thrilled” about the release of the hostages taken by Hamas in its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Those taken included several Americans.
Since the October 7 attack, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza levelling large swaths of the Palestinian territory, killing at least 46,707 people, mostly women and children, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
Trump returns to the White House on Monday — meaning that much of the implementation of the Gaza deal will play out under his incoming administration.
The 78-year-old said his national security team would “work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
Trump’s incoming National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, credited the Gaza deal in a post on X to “The Trump Effect.”
Meanwhile, Israel continued its relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza. The health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday that 62 people were killed in the Palestinian territory in the past 24 hours, taking the overall war death toll to 46,707.
The ministry said at least 110,265 people have been wounded in more than 15 months of Israeli bombardment campaign.
Israeli bombardments have left the besieged coastal enclave a wasteland of rubble, with hundreds of thousands surviving the winter cold in tents and makeshift shelters.
