Why Trump wanted a Gaza ceasefire deal before taking office

For newly elected President Donald J. Trump, the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza was crucial for two reasons.

It ended one of the most vexing international conflicts hovering around the start of his second term, and it gave Mr. Trump, who was known as a “deals man” during his days as a real estate developer in New York City, something to claim. honor as an early victory – even if it happened before he took office.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Mr Trump said the deal “came only as a result of our historic victory in November.”

The contours of the deal were not particularly different from what President Biden had sought in May. But multiple people with insight into the process said Trump’s victory in November, along with the involvement of members of his new administration, were crucial parts of moving things forward.

The aftermath of the deadly Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 provided the backdrop for the 2024 US presidential race. As Mr Trump emerged not only as the Republican candidate, but also as the survivor of an assassination attempt in July, his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel improved. (Ties had crumbled after Mr. Netanyahu congratulated Mr. Biden on winning the 2020 election.)

Fears of what the often unpredictable Trump — who said months ago that the world knows he is “crazy,” using an expletive for emphasis — might do on the world stage has become a major theme in private conversations between foreign leaders .

The deal – which was brokered with significant involvement from Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff – thus ensured that Trump could start his term with one problem less.