For President-elect Donald J. Trump, the Israel-Gaza ceasefire was key for two reasons.
This removes one of the thorniest international disputes floating around at the start of his second term, and gives Trump, who was known as the “deal man” during his time as a New York City real estate developer, something to claim. was given. Even if it happened before he took office, it still deserves credit as an early victory.
Trump declared in a social media post Wednesday that the deal “only came about as a result of November's historic victory.”
The contours of the agreement are not particularly different from what President Biden sought in May. But people familiar with the process said Trump's victory in November and the involvement of members of the incoming administration were a key part of moving things forward.
The aftermath of the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas was the backdrop for the 2024 US presidential election. Relations between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have improved as Trump has emerged not only as the Republican nominee but also as a survivor of an assassination attempt in July. (Ties began to fray after Netanyahu congratulated Biden on his 2020 election victory.)
What does the often unpredictable Mr. Trump – who said a few months ago that the world knows he is “crazy,” using an expletive for emphasis – do on the world stage? Fears of what will happen have become a key theme in informal discussions among foreign leaders.
So the deal, made with the heavy involvement of Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, allows Trump to start his term with one less problem.
