Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, credited President-elect Donald Trump for playing a key role in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. According to Pinkas, the deal involves Hamas releasing dozens of Israeli prisoners taken during the October 7 attacks, while Israel would free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Additionally, thousands of displaced Palestinians would be allowed to return home, and humanitarian aid would flood the conflict zone. The Israeli government is optimistic about the deal, although it is still being finalized.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, confirmed that the ceasefire would begin on Sunday, but emphasized that its success would depend on both sides acting in good faith. U.S. President Joe Biden praised the Trump administration’s support of the agreement, but when asked if Trump should get credit for the deal, Biden became irritated, dismissing the idea as a joke.
Pinkas, however, disagreed with Biden’s comments and argued that Trump’s influence was crucial in pushing the deal forward. He pointed out that Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously rejected similar proposals and may have delayed the peace efforts for political reasons, waiting for the outcome of the U.S. election. Once Trump was elected, Netanyahu likely felt the need to align with the president’s policies and finalize the deal before Trump took office, fearing that more favorable terms would be harder to achieve later.
