Times of Israel: Trump had a decisive role in Gaza ceasefire deal
The newly elected US president's envoy has allegedly persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
According to a report by the Times of Israel on Wednesday, US President-elect Donald Trump’s team played a significant role in brokering a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the militant group Hamas based in Gaza. It is said that Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, successfully persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the terms of the truce in just one meeting.
On the same day, Trump announced that West Jerusalem and Hamas had reached a deal that would facilitate the release of the remaining hostages. Multiple media sources indicate that the agreement, negotiated in Qatar, entails a 42-day truce and a prisoner exchange that includes all Israelis captured during the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion.
Witkoff has reportedly spent the past week in Doha, actively participating in discussions regarding the hostage release, according to the Times of Israel. He also traveled to Israel for a meeting with Netanyahu last Saturday, where he is said to have successfully influenced the prime minister to embrace key aspects of the deal, as reported by two Arab officials.
Two days post-meeting, both parties informed the mediators that they had accepted the draft agreement in principle. Neither Witkoff nor Netanyahu's office provided comments to the Times of Israel regarding the negotiations, but the publication noted that Trump’s envoy managed to achieve more in one meeting than President Joe Biden’s administration had done in a year.
Following the announcement of the deal, both Trump and Biden sought to claim credit. The president-elect referred to it as an “epic ceasefire agreement that could only have happened” due to his electoral victory in November. In contrast, Biden attributed the success to “dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” as well as the pressure put on Hamas and Iran's weakened position. Biden acknowledged his predecessor’s contribution by stating, “for the past few days, we have been speaking as one team.”
In response to the agreement, Trump’s team asserted on X that Biden would not have been able to finalize the deal without the intervention of both Trump and Witkoff. The US State Department also emphasized Trump’s involvement, with spokesman Matthew Miller stating, “The involvement of President-elect Trump’s team has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line.”
However, on Thursday, Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of “reneging” on significant aspects of the agreement, asserting that the militant group had caused “a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.” Hamas, on the other hand, denied these allegations and stated they were “committed” to the deal.
Following the announcement of the truce deal, West Jerusalem ramped up its airstrikes across Gaza, resulting in at least 32 fatalities from “heavy Israeli bombardment” on Wednesday evening, according to Reuters. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Hamas fired a rocket into Israel on Thursday, an incident that resulted in no casualties.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
On the same day, Trump announced that West Jerusalem and Hamas had reached a deal that would facilitate the release of the remaining hostages. Multiple media sources indicate that the agreement, negotiated in Qatar, entails a 42-day truce and a prisoner exchange that includes all Israelis captured during the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion.
Witkoff has reportedly spent the past week in Doha, actively participating in discussions regarding the hostage release, according to the Times of Israel. He also traveled to Israel for a meeting with Netanyahu last Saturday, where he is said to have successfully influenced the prime minister to embrace key aspects of the deal, as reported by two Arab officials.
Two days post-meeting, both parties informed the mediators that they had accepted the draft agreement in principle. Neither Witkoff nor Netanyahu's office provided comments to the Times of Israel regarding the negotiations, but the publication noted that Trump’s envoy managed to achieve more in one meeting than President Joe Biden’s administration had done in a year.
Following the announcement of the deal, both Trump and Biden sought to claim credit. The president-elect referred to it as an “epic ceasefire agreement that could only have happened” due to his electoral victory in November. In contrast, Biden attributed the success to “dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” as well as the pressure put on Hamas and Iran's weakened position. Biden acknowledged his predecessor’s contribution by stating, “for the past few days, we have been speaking as one team.”
In response to the agreement, Trump’s team asserted on X that Biden would not have been able to finalize the deal without the intervention of both Trump and Witkoff. The US State Department also emphasized Trump’s involvement, with spokesman Matthew Miller stating, “The involvement of President-elect Trump’s team has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line.”
However, on Thursday, Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of “reneging” on significant aspects of the agreement, asserting that the militant group had caused “a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.” Hamas, on the other hand, denied these allegations and stated they were “committed” to the deal.
Following the announcement of the truce deal, West Jerusalem ramped up its airstrikes across Gaza, resulting in at least 32 fatalities from “heavy Israeli bombardment” on Wednesday evening, according to Reuters. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Hamas fired a rocket into Israel on Thursday, an incident that resulted in no casualties.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
