Trump warns Gaza ceasefire deal 'better be in place' before his inauguration, discredits Biden's efforts

US President-elect Donald Trump warned that the ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas better be finalised before his inauguration which is scheduled to take place on Monday. While taking the credit for the deal, Trump emphasised that his involvement was “crucial” for the negotiation to end on a positive note.

Both US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have acknowledged Trump and his team’s contribution during the negotiation talks. “We changed the course of it, and we changed it fast, and frankly, it better be done before I take the oath of office,” the President-elect said in a podcast interview with Dan Bongino.

“We shook hands, and we signed certain documents, but it better be done," he added. While the Gaza truce is expected to begin on Sunday, Netanyahu said that a last-minute crisis” with Hamas is holding up his government’s approval of the deal.

More from World

Earthquake of magnitude 5.9 jolts Assam, tremors felt in Bhutan and north Bengal 5 US F-35 jets land in Puerto Rico amid tensions with Venezuela

🔥PRESIDENT TRUMP LIVE ON THE DAN BONGINO SHOW🔥
“ THERE WOULD BE NO HOSTAGE DEAL WITHOUT US.. And it BETTER BE DONE BY THE TIME I TAKE THE OATH” pic.twitter.com/NUvf0Jw3bU

— Johnny St.Pete (@JohnMcCloy) January 16, 2025

Trump says Biden didn’t do anything

Trump went on to claim that Biden had not done anything significant for the deal to materialise. “I’m not looking for credit. I want to get these people out,” he says. “We’ve got to get them out.” He went on to compare the current deal to the Iran hostage crisis, which was resolved just moments after then-President Ronald Raegan entered office, succeeding former President Jimmy Carter.

“For three years they’ve lived like in hell,” Trump said of the hostages, who have been in captivity for 470 days. “We gotta get them out, and it’ll be great when we do," he furthered. According to CNN, during a fireside conversation, both Biden and Trump agreed that the hostage matter could and should be resolved before the hand-off of power on January 20. A source told the American news outlet that the timing suited both the men.

Trump’s team believed that the agreement struck after his win and before taking the Oval Office would enable the President-elect to take the credit for the deal. Not only this, it would also ensure that the matter is off the table before Trump comes back to the White House.

Meanwhile, Biden’s team was also happy with the arrangement since this way, the American leader would be able to take credit for the deal he’s spent more than a quarter of his presidency trying to cement. The Biden administration believed that the timing would validate time and energy – and political capital – lost to the cause.