(The Center Square) – A new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be stabilizing.
Despite earlier reports that the deal was in danger, Israel’s leadership has now backed the deal.
The ceasefire agreement comes after 15 months of deadly bombings as Israel systematically cleared out Hamas positions and killed its militants and leadership. The thorough bombing campaign demolished much of Hamas’ infrastructure but created serious humanitarian issues in the process, which have continued to increase pressure on Israel to end the war.
Israel, though, has said the bombings were justified and generally had the support of the U.S. since Hamas kicked off the conflict with a terrorist attack that killed over 1,000 in Israel on Oct. 7 2023.
The deal includes the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
“Today, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal,” Biden said in a statement. “This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity.”
President-elect Donald Trump quickly took credit for the ceasefire after it was announced. Initial reports suggested Trump envoy Steve Witkoff may have had a major impact on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our 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,” Trump said in a statement. “I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”
Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States is Monday.
As The Center Square previously reported, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance told the media that Hamas’ fear of Trump could help bring about the ceasefire.
“We have achieved so much without even being in the White House,” Trump 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!”
President Biden, however, also took credit, explicitly saying “my diplomacy” got this done.
Biden said he laid out the details of the plan last May and that they were backed by the U.N. Security Council.
“It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran – but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” Biden said. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”
Why should the Israeli’s and Americans trade a Thousand Hamas hostages for a hundred or so of THEIR and OUR hostages, of which as many a 40% are already dead???,,,,,Of course we should, just make sure 40% of THEIR Hostages returned are as dead as ours. If we come up short just execute those proven to have executed OUR people, before returning them in the deal, as the list of those guilty and qualified is long not lean, and they are ranked among those proven guilty of the murdering of Israeli and American innocence. The Hamas people need to understand that people seldom get the kind of leadership they want but ALWAYS get the kind they deserve. Don’t cry for me Argentina, nor the Hamas guilty civilian population, who chose leaders who not only murder the innocent others whom they hate, but use their own people they are supposed to love, as human shields that never turn out to be bullet proof, but only postpone their well-earned unearthly justice. Better to kill a little of them early and now, Than have to kill legions of them later when their hatred matures into a holocaust. The race of humanity living in Gaza is to humanity as a rabid feral coyote is to a pure-bred healthy well=trained dog. You just never know when they will revert to their feral rabid diet of a desire for human flesh having eschewed and feared the reflective waters that reveal to themselves as to who they really are down deep.
Here’s something to consider,
What if it turns out all these hostages are dead? What then? Hamas will have scored the greatest trade ever and Israel and the US will look like monumental fools.
Honestly, I’m disappointed in this deal as I was looking forward to watching Trump light up the Middle-East. then again…
Perhaps there’s a plan up Trump and Netanyahu’s sleeves? We can only hope.
That is why i have NEVER EVER understood israel doing these trades.. 50 to 1? Some times 100 for one?
WHO the hell is stupid enough to sign off on that!? ESPECIALLY when history shows, the VAST MAJORITY of those prisoners Israel releases back to palestine, THEY GO BACK TO DOING THEIR WARmonger ways!
The great Albert Einstein once remarked that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again expecting to achieve different results.
How many times has Israel been down this road before? I’m beginning to think Israel and her leadership are insane.
Hamas, Hesbolah, ISIS, et al, are cancers on this world, and need to be eliminated. When we treat cancer, we don’t treat it with half-measures, we hit it with everything we’ve got.
In the Old Testament, God admonished the Israelites to “Utterly destroy” their enemies. Whenever they failed to do so, they suffered immensely. If they continue to disobey that ancient dictate, they’ll continue to suffer – each time being worse than the last.
If it takes a little “genocide” to rid the world of this scourge, so be it.
Sometimes you have to put on the face of evil to defeat that very evil.,,,like when we bombed German cities after they bombed London.,,,not to mention Hiroshima. The difference between civilzed people and backwards troglodite Hamas is that when the war is over the sane people go back to being good, while the evil just hide in the woodwork like cockroaches until the next feeding opportunity. For them the war never ends when they love thier hate of Isreal more than they love their own feral raised children.
Especially when so many of the ‘palestinians SUPPORT hamas’..
“The thorough bombing campaign demolished much of Hamas’ infrastructure but created serious humanitarian issues in the process,…”
Boo flippin’ hoo! The article doesn’t mention how this round started, with an armed invasion of Israel and the horrific murders, rapes, be-headings and kidnappings. Not to mention Hamas’ treatment of “their own” people.
Liberate Judea!
AND we saw LOTS Of palestinians and Many americans CHEERING the invasion of israel…