He president-elect of the United States, Donald Trumptook credit this Wednesday for the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in principle to end 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip.
In a message in Truth Social, his platform, Trump has called “epic” that pact and has attributed it to his “historical” electoral victory in November, which he has defined as a “signal to the whole world” that his government “I would seek peace and negotiate agreements to ensure the security of all Americans and our allies.”
“We will continue promoting peace through strength in the regionas we build on the momentum of that ceasefire to further expand the historic Abraham accords“, wrote Trump, who in his press conference last week had reiterated the threatening promise that he made in December that if all the Hamas hostages were not released by his inauguration, he would unleash “a hell”.
Trump has said that “this is just the beginning of great things to come for the US and the world” and has also written: “We have achieved both without even being in the White House. Imagine all the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House and my Administration is fully confirmed and can ensure more victories for the United States.”
No recognition of Biden
Trump has declared “enthusiastic that the American and Israeli hostages will return home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.” And before posting that message, had been ahead of Joe Biden’s White House in providing information about the achievement of the principle of agreement, also with a brief previous message in Truth.
In Trump’s words there has been no no mention of the work carried out for months by the Joe Biden Administration in search of agreement, although the Republican envoy for the region, Steve Witkoff, whom you praised this Wednesday, has been working and cooperating with Biden’s team in negotiations.
The consensus among numerous observers is that the Republican’s victory and his imminent arrival at the White House have been an important factor in achieving the ceasefire and Dennis Ross, who has worked on Middle East issues in both Democratic and Republican administrations, told The Wall Street Journal that “There is the Trump effect”.
“It was not his threats against Hamas but his emphasis on achieving it before he was president that has influenced Qataris, Egyptians and possibly Turksand they individually and collectively have the capacity to put pressure on Hamas,” said Ross, who opined that Binyamin Netanyahu does not want to confront Trump at the start of his second term and has indicated that “the Biden team deserves credit for helping organize the agreement.”
