President Biden on Wednesday balked at a question from Fox News senior White House correspondent Jackie Heinrich about whether President-elect Trump deserves credit for the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
The deal comes in the final days of Biden's term, less than a week until Trump's second term begins on January 20. A recent meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump's incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was reportedly an integral part of Biden's final days in office. A source told Fox News Digital.
“In the history books, who gets the credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?” Mr. Heinrich asked Mr. Biden at a White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon.
“Are you kidding?” the President replied.
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When Mr. Heinrich denied that her question was a joke, Mr. Biden replied, “Oh, thank you,” and walked away.
President Biden speaks about the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release agreement at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Robert Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
Minutes earlier, Biden explained that the ceasefire would consist of two phases. The first phase will last approximately six weeks and will include “a complete and complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of the Gaza Strip, and the release of a large number of hostages held by Hamas, including women, the elderly, and women.” including “injured people''. ”
“And I'm proud to say that Americans will also be participating in the hostage release and phase one,” the president said. “The Vice President and I can’t wait to welcome them home.”
Biden also said that Israel had released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and that Palestinians would also be able to “return to their neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza, starting a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza.” . The second phase of the ceasefire would begin after Israel negotiates “the necessary arrangements,” which Biden said would mean “a permanent end to the war.”
“Negotiating the transition from phase one to phase two requires a lot of details,” he continued. “But the plan is that if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire will continue as long as negotiations continue.”
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Relatives and friends of those killed, abducted and taken to Gaza by Hamas took part in a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday to react to the ceasefire announcement. (AP Photo/Oded Barilty)
A few weeks ago, President Trump warned that if significant progress was not made on the hostage trade by the time he took office, there would be “hell to pay”.
“Everyone is talking about hostages being held in the Middle East in extremely violent, inhumane, and against the will of the entire world, but it's all talk and no action!” written by trump In a post by Truth Social.
“Please let this truth be known: If the hostages are not released by January 20, 2025, the day I am proudly sworn in as President of the United States, there will be hell in the Middle East. Please stand up for those responsible for these atrocities against humanity,” Trump added.
Shortly after Biden announced the deal, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller acknowledged and thanked Trump's team for their role in the negotiations.
“I don't know if it's unprecedented for envoys from the outgoing administration and the incoming administration to sit down at the same table and negotiate this type of ceasefire agreement,” Miller said Wednesday. “But it is certainly unusual, if not unprecedented.”
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President Biden will address the recently announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“And we, of course, thank the Trump team for working together on this ceasefire agreement. We think it's important that they have a seat at the table.”
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace, Greg Norman, Trey Yingst, Brooke Curto, Efrat Lachter and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
