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Does Netanyahu’s phone diplomacy reveal whether Biden or Trump did more to secure a hostage deal?

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with newly elected President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening, followed by President Joe Biden, to thank them for their efforts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Donald Trump for helping broker a ceasefire with Hamas, his office said, before thanking President Joe Biden.

As Biden and Trump battle for credit for the prisoner swap, the Israeli leader may have offered a clue as to who he believes brokered the deal.

Hours after the details of a ceasefire were made public, Netanyahu picked up the phone.

And he spoke first to the newly elected president, relegating the incumbent to second place.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke tonight (Wednesday, January 15, 2025) with newly elected US President Donald Trump and thanked him for his help in promoting the release of the hostages and for helping Israel to end the suffering of dozens of people. hostages and their families,” his office said.

The Prime Minister made clear that he is committed to returning all hostages however he can, and praised the US President-elect for his comments that the US would work with Israel to ensure Gaza never becomes a haven for terrorism become. ‘

They also agreed to meet in Washington soon.

Only after that conversation did Netanyahu speak to Biden, who has spent two years arming his government and trying to broker a deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with newly elected President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening, followed by President Joe Biden, to thank them for their efforts

“Prime Minister Netanyahu then spoke with US President Joe Biden and also thanked him for his help in advancing the hostage deal,” the statement said.

The incoming and outgoing presidents have both tried to take credit for the breakthrough.

A major Middle East peace deal would burnish the legacy of Biden’s troubled presidency after months of talks that repeatedly stalled.

But the breakthrough comes just six days before he leaves office and Trump takes over.

“This epic ceasefire agreement could only have come as a result of our historic victory in November, because it signaled to the entire world that my administration would seek peace and make deals to ensure the security of all Americans and our allies,” Trump wrote. on his social media platform, using his usual quirky mix of capital letters when the news broke earlier Wednesday.

He has repeatedly urged Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza before coming to power, and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been in Qatar this past week to help with negotiations.

Middle East envoys reportedly said Witkoff had done more to convince Netanyahu to accept compromises than Biden had managed in the past year.

Still, the idea that Trump had a decisive influence was met with disbelief in the White House.

Donald Trump also claimed credit for the deal

Donald Trump also claimed credit for the deal

Palestinians gathered in the garden of Gaza's Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital to celebrate after the ceasefire announcement

Palestinians gathered in the garden of Gaza’s Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital to celebrate after the ceasefire announcement

Biden said the deal was negotiated by his administration but would be implemented by the new administration.

“In recent days we have spoken as one team,” he said in a televised address.

At the end, he was asked by a journalist whether he or Trump deserved the honor. “Is that a joke?” he said smiling before walking away.

Israel launched its path on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants stormed Gaza and killed about 1,200 people. They returned to the enclave with approximately 250 hostages.

The conflict has since killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the local health authority.

About a hundred hostages are still being held, about a third of whom are presumed dead.

Phase one of the deal is expected to start on Sunday, according to Qatari officials who brokered the talks. It entails a six-week ceasefire during which 33 hostages are released while negotiations begin to end the war.

However, Netanyahu has not yet actually said he will accept the deal.

Instead, he said he would provide his formal response once the “final details” are finalized.

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