WASHINGTON — Retiring President Biden said Wednesday that US citizens will be among those released by Hamas as part of a Gaza Strip cease-fire deal with Israel — while refusing to give any credit to President-elect Donald Trump for escalating pressure on the terrorist group.
“I’m proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release in phase one,” Biden, 82, said at the White House after Qatar’s government announced the agreement, in which hostages are expected to be released as early as Sunday.
Biden repeatedly refused to give any credit to Trump, 78, who had threatened “hell” for Hamas if it did not release the hostages by the time he took office on Monday.
Asked about the contribution of Trump’s envoys to sealing the agreement, Biden replied, “Well, you know, this is the exact framework of the deal I proposed back in May, the exact.”
When a reporter pressed whether Biden or Trump deserved credit, the president said, “Is that a joke? Oh —” before walking away.
Trump, whose Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was heavily involved in the endgame of negotiations, claimed credit earlier Wednesday, saying it “could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November.”
“Many peacemakers made this detail happen,” Biden said at one point in his remarks, without giving any specific credit to Trump’s team.
The lame-duck president stumbled throughout his remarks on the long-sought deal, which will end the captivity of dozens of hostages held since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
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Biden claimed he had spoken with the “emir of Kuwait” about the deal, when he likely meant to say Qatar.
He also incorrectly referred to his national security adviser Jake Sullivan with the title “secretary” and stated that Hezbollah, not Hamas, had carried out the Oct. 7 atrocity.
Biden additionally said that he and Vice President Kamala Harris, who stood alongside the president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the White House, “cannot wait to welcome [the hostages] home,” even though they likely will have left office by that time.
At least one member of Biden’s administration offered credit to Trump.
“When it comes to the involvement of President-elect Trump’s team, it has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a Wednesday afternoon press briefing.
The cease-fire detail contains three phases, with the first lasting six weeks and specifying the release of women, elderly and wounded hostages and an Israeli pullback from parts of Gaza, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and the return of displaced civilians.
The second phase entails a permanent end to the war. If those negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire will continue.
The second phase would include the release of Israeli soldiers taken hostage, including dual US-Israeli citizens such as 20-year-old New Jersey native Edan Alexander, who was featured in a late November hostage video.
A major reconstruction project and the return of hostage remains would be the third phase.
It’s unclear how many American hostages remain alive in Gaza, with Biden saying Wednesday that “all the exact detail of how many people are being held, how many bodies are being returned to us, will all be forthcoming.”
Trump’s administration will preside over the implementation of the terms, the president noted.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), the chairman of the House intelligence committee, praised the president-elect following the announcement of the agreement, saying: “Today’s announcement of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas marks a significant breakthrough that will hopefully reunite hostages with their loved ones after 15 months of unimaginable hardship in captivity. This agreement would not have been possible without President-elect Trump’s steadfast commitment to his foreign policy principle of ‘peace through strength.’”
Meanwhile, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) vowed in a statement: “We will not rest until every single hostage, including all the Americans and my constituent, Edan Alexander, is reunited with their families and loved ones.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.
