Trump Announces ‘EPIC Ceasefire Agreement,’ Says Hostages Will Be ‘Released Shortly’

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.”

Update:

Joe Biden attempted to take credit for the hostage agreement in a White House statement Wednesday afternoon.

“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’s X account posted.  “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done – I will speak more about this soon.”

Entire statement below:

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. 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.

I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN 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. My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.

Even as we welcome this news, we remember all the families whose loved ones were killed in Hamas’s October 7th attack, and the many innocent people killed in the war that followed. It is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin. I am also if thinking of the American families, three of whom have living hostages in Gaza and four awaiting return of remains after what has been the most horrible ordeal imaginable. Under this deal, we are determined to bring all of them home.

I will speak more about this soon. For now, I am thrilled that those who have been held hostage are being reunited with their families.

“I’m proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release in phase one,” Biden, 82, later told reporters at the White House.

When a reporter asked whether he or Trump deserved credit, Biden answered, “Is that a joke? Oh —” and walked off.

According to The Times of Israel, the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas “is largely the same as the proposal that was proposed by Israel last May,” but the deal should “have been reached much earlier.”

Two Arab officials familiar with the negotiations told The Times that “a ‘tense’ weekend meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and incoming Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff led to a breakthrough in the hostage negotiations, with the top aide to US President-elect Donald Trump doing more to sway the premier in a single sit-down than outgoing President Joe Biden did all year.”

The Washington Post, meanwhile, is reporting that the deal “hit a snag” later Wednesday, after Hamas allegedly tried “to make changes to already agreed upon arrangements.”

The glitch has forced Qatar to delay a formal announcement of a deal, the Post reported.

According to the New York Post, the original deal called for 33 live hostages to be released and Hamas tried to change the wording to 33 hostages “alive or bodies.”