Gaza ceasefire agreement
Ceasefire in Gaza
Gaza Cease-Fire Deal
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The agreement ended one of the thorniest foreign conflicts lurking at the start of his second term.
By Maggie Haberman
Reporting on President-elect Trump
For President-elect Donald J. Trump, the Israeli-Gaza cease-fire deal was key for two reasons.
It ended one of the thorniest foreign conflicts looming at the start of his second term, and gave Trump, who in his time as a New York real estate developer was known as a “deal guy,” something to claim. Credit for an early victory, even though it occurred before he took office.
In a posting on social media on Wednesday, Mr. Trump declared that the deal “only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November.”
The contours of the deal were not especially different from what President Biden had sought in May. But multiple people with insight into the process said that Mr. Trump’s win in November, along with the involvement of members of his incoming administration, was a crucial element in moving things forward.
The aftermath of the fatal Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, the backdrop to the 2024 U. S. presidential race. As Trump emerged not only as the Republican nominee but also as the survivor of an assassination attempt in July, his appointments with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu improved (ties had frayed after Netanyahu congratulated Biden on his victory in the 2020 election).
Fear of what the often unpredictable Mr. Trump — who months ago said the world knows that he’s “crazy,” using an expletive for emphasis — might do on the world stage has become a key theme in private discussions among foreign leaders.
So the deal – reached with significant involvement from Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff – allowed Trump to begin his term with one less problem.
Maggie Haberman is a White House correspondent reporting on Donald J. ‘s non-consecutive tenure. Trump. Learn more about Maggie Haberman
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