Former President Joe Biden and ex-Secretary of State Antony Blinken both took some responsibility for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas announced by President Donald Trump on Monday.
In a post on X, Biden, currently receiving cancer treatment, expressed that he was “deeply relieved and grateful” as the conflict in Gaza nears its resolution.
“The journey to achieve this deal was fraught with challenges,” the Democrat remarked. “My Administration tirelessly worked to secure the release of hostages, provide aid to Palestinian civilians, and bring an end to the conflict.”
However, Biden also acknowledged Trump’s contribution in finalizing “a renewed ceasefire agreement.”
“With strong support from the United States and the international community, I hope the Middle East now embarks on a lasting path towards peace, ensuring a future marked by dignity, safety, and harmony for both Israelis and Palestinians,” he concluded.
On the same day, Blinken mentioned that Trump’s 20-point peace initiative concerning the Gaza Strip was rooted in a conceptual framework laid out by the Biden administration.
In an extensive post on X, Blinken, who was part of Biden’s administration, detailed how Trump was able to bring about the peace settlement. He emphasized that regional actors, including Arab nations and Turkey, have expressed their disapproval of Hamas, indicating a shift that left other Iran-aligned factions, such as Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, unwilling to support Hamas.
“The foundation is a clear, comprehensive post-conflict strategy for Gaza,” Blinken stated. “It is commendable that President Trump built upon the plan the Biden administration established after extensive discussions with Arab nations, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority.”
Blinken recounted that the Biden administration had narrowly achieved a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January, enabling the release of 135 hostages before the agreement collapsed.
He raised doubts about how Trump would be able to implement a lasting peace agreement.
When asked for his views on Blinken’s comments aboard Air Force One, Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy quoted Trump as saying, “Everyone knows it’s a farce. Their performance was terrible, and this situation should have never occurred.”
Trump further asserted, “Had any decent president—not even a great one like me—been in office, the Russia-Ukraine conflict would have never occurred. This is a result of poor policy by Biden and Obama.”
While in Egypt on Monday, Trump was engaged in discussions regarding the second phase of the ceasefire with over 20 global leaders.
“We’ve heard talk about this for years, but no one believed it could occur. Yet here we are,” Trump proclaimed.
“Today marks a moment that many in this region and worldwide have been working towards, hoping, praying, and striving for,” he remarked. “With the groundbreaking agreement we have just formalized, the prayers of millions have finally been fulfilled. Together, we have accomplished what once seemed impossible.”
In his statement, Blinken emphasized that the post-war strategy for Gaza should be enacted immediately, being fully aware of the challenges, including assembling an international stabilization force, completely taking weapons away from Hamas, managing insurgency, and ensuring a phased but total withdrawal of Israeli forces.
He also acknowledged Trump for reiterating “the fundamental principles we set for Gaza at the conflict’s onset—no support for terrorism, no annexation, no occupation, no forced displacement—and for clearly stating that the ultimate objective is to pave the way for a credible Palestinian state.”
