Trump’s team is taking credit for Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire negotiated by Biden admin
WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump’s team on Tuesday attempted to claim credit for the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire deal brokered by the Biden administration and other world leaders.
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser, argued in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump.”
“His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated.” Waltz added in the post, which came hours after the deal was announced. “I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.”
The Biden administration on Tuesday said that it had briefed Trump’s national security team about the tenets of the agreement, but said the incoming president and his officials were not directly involved in the negotiation.
A senior White House official told reporters during a press call on Tuesday afternoon that the negotiations had reached their most intense points prior to the election. The Biden administration informed Trump and his team about the deal after the election and gave them an update 24 and 48 hours before the agreement was officially reached.
“We are clear-eyed that there is a new administration coming in,” the senior official said on the condition of anonymity. “We won’t do this unless they know what we’re doing.”
The cease-fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah took effect in Lebanon early Wednesday morning. The cease-fire began at 4 a.m. local time (9 p.m. ET) after it was approved by Israel’s security cabinet and announced by President Joe Biden.
Under the historic agreement, fighting in set to cease for 60 days, giving Israel time to withdraw its troops from the southern border of Lebanon and Hezbollah to move farther from Israel’s border.
President Joe Biden said during a speech on Tuesday that the deal was designed to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities.”
“It reminds us that peace is possible. Say that again, peace is possible,” Biden said during his address from the Rose Garden.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Trump’s close allies in Congress applauded the agreement on Tuesday, giving credit to Trump’s team and Biden.
“I appreciate the hard work of the Biden Administration, supported by President Trump, to make this ceasefire a reality,” Graham said on Tuesday.
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the cease-fire deal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump team takes credit for Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire deal