After more than a year of war, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal in which Hamas will return the surviving hostages it took during its October 7, 2023, attack that left over 1,200 Israelis dead and over 200 civilians as hostages, including some American citizens.
[RELATED: Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Tehran; Israel: “No Comment”…]
“WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU,” said President-elect Donald Trump in a brief announcement on Truth Social.
Hamas and Israel have agreed to the ceasefire terms, with Israel set to formally approve the deal with a cabinet vote tomorrow.
The ceasefire will proceed in multiple stages, starting with a six-week ceasefire, with Hamas initially releasing 33 hostages in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The second stage of the deal will reportedly mark a permanent end to the war. Israel will withdraw its troops from Gaza, and Hamas will hand over the remaining living hostages.
In the final stage, Hamas will hand over the remains of the deceased hostages, and a reconstruction effort will begin in Gaza.
President Trump later elaborated on the ceasefire in a longer post, claiming that a ceasefire deal was only made possible because he, rather than Vice President Kamala Harris, won the presidency in November.
“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,” said the President.
He promised that his national security team would continue to work with Israel to ensure lasting peace and to make certain that Gaza does not become a refuge for terrorists again.
He also vowed to work to restore and expand the Abraham Accords, a treaty made during his first administration normalizing relations between Israel and some Arab nations, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan.
“We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States,” Trump said.
The ceasefire comes just days after Trump threatened Hamas, claiming that “all hell will break loose” if they do not release the hostages before his inauguration.
President Joe Biden also took credit for the ceasefire deal.
“I 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 weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” said President Biden.
“My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done,” he added.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="34077 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=34077">4 Comments
I’ll believe it when I actually see it .
Trump will get it done. Bozo Biden finally got up today and thinks he did this. NOPE you didn’t bozo Biden – you as usual, didn’t resolve a single problem, issue, turmoil, war, etc. all the 4 years you were on vacation.
Finally! Would any of us expect anything less from Biden and his minions.
I enjoyed Biden’s speech announcing it especially when he shared that he is sharing information with Trump like “a good president does”. We all know thanks to social media that he has been working very hard to sabotage anything he can before Trump takes office.
Based on previous ceasefires, don’t get too excited.
https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2025/01/15/hamas-celebrates-ceasefire-deal-in-gaza-and-with-good-reason-n4936026