On the eve of his inauguration, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump cast doubt on the outgoing Biden administration's involvement in the cease-fire and hostage release deal that began Sunday, suggesting the timing was affected by his election victory.
"It just happened to be one day before we took office," Trump quipped during a Washington speech, taking aim at President Joe Biden. He praised his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who returned from the region after facilitating the deal. "He just came back from the Middle East. He had a little project and he did very well on it," Trump said.
Trump comments on the hostage deal on Sunday
While expressing optimism, Trump appeared unfamiliar with the deal’s specifics, stating that hostages would continue to be released on Monday. "We took in the first hostages today and they're coming in tomorrow and they're going to keep coming in," he said.
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The deal, struck amid the transition of administrations, sparked a political tug-of-war over credit. Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in direct contact with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani, whom he thanked for playing a critical role in mediating the cease-fire and hostage release.
"The Secretary highlighted the need to continue advancing post-conflict planning for Gaza, expressed his gratitude for the Prime Minister’s support, and wished him well on continued efforts to build lasting peace in the region," the State Department said in a statement.
The agreement brought home a group of hostages, with more expected in the coming days, while facilitating a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza.