President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his negotiating team has secured a hostage-ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel and the hostages will be “released shortly.”
“We have a deal for hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The president-elect promised in a subsequent post that many more “wonderful things” could be expected when he returns to office. “We have achieved so much without even being in the White House,” he said. “Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!”
Trump also declared that under his leadership, the U.S. will “work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
An American official involved in the negotiations in Qatar told the Jerusalem Post earlier Wednesday that a hostage deal had been agreed upon by Hamas and Israel.
Later, an Israeli official confirmed that “the differences in negotiations have been resolved, and a deal has been reached,” the Post reported.
Two sources involved in the negotiations told the Post: “There weren’t really any significant difficulties. There were problems. There were things that took time to close, but at no point did it seem like the deal was going to blow up.”
Trump took credit for the “EPIC ceasefire agreement” minutes later on Truth Social, saying it could only have happened after his “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. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.
With this deal in place, my National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build upon the momentum of this ceasefire to further expand the Historic Abraham Accords. This is only the beginning of great things to come for America, and indeed, the World!
We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!
Trump’s Middle Eastern Envoy Steve Witkoff had been in Qatar working to secure a Gaza hostage deal by January 20th.
Wikoff told reporters during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago last week that his team was making “a lot of progress” in the hostage negotiations and that he was “really hopeful that by the inaugural we’ll have some good things to announce.”
Trump said on January 7 that he didn’t want to hurt the negotiations, but “if they’re not back by the time I get into office, all hell is going to break out in the Middle East and it will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good frankly for anyone.”