2 Presidents Claim Credit for Gaza Deal

Is it the last major foreign policy achievement of the Biden administration or the first big win of the second Trump administration? President Biden and President-elect Trump both claimed credit Wednesday after mediators announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza. In a speech at the White House, Biden said the deal would take effect Sunday and credited "dogged and painstaking American diplomacy," the AP reports. "My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done," he said.

• "Is this a joke?" Asked how much credit he would give to Trump's team, Biden said, "This is the exact framework of the deal I proposed back in May. Exact," the Guardian reports. He said because he knew the deal would have to be implemented by "the next team," he asked his team to coordinate closely with Trump's people "because that's what American presidents do." As he was leaving the room, a reporter called out, "Who deserves credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?" Biden turned around and replied, "Is that a joke?"

• Trump takes credit for "EPIC" deal. "This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies," the president-elect said in a Truth Social post. He said his national security team "will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven."
• Trump's "salty" envoy. According to Haaretz, Trump's envoy Steven Witkoff, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, spoke bluntly to the Israeli side in "salty English" and helped break the deadlock. Right-wing Israeli pundits have complained that Trump, who said there would be "hell to pay" for Hamas if the hostages were not released, hasn't met their expectations. "He talks about hell and in the meantime sends his envoy to sign a deal," Yinon Magal said.
• A "very close partnership." Insiders tell the New York Times that a "very close partnership" between Witkoff and Brett McGurk, Biden's Middle East envoy, has been the exception to sour relations between the Biden and Trump teams. The sources say the partnership was "incredibly effective" in finalizing a deal Trump's team will have to oversee.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)