David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, praised President Donald Trump for achieving what former President Joe Biden \u201ccould never do\u201d regarding the Gaza peace deal. On Wednesday night, Trump announced a \u201chistoric\u201d first step: a truce between Israel and Hamas, including the initial exchange of hostages and prisoners. He claimed on Truth Social that \u201cALL of the hostages will be released very soon,\u201d calling the arrangement \u201cunprecedented.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ignatius made his remarks on MSNBC\u2019s Morning Joe<\/em>, where host Joe Scarborough noted that Israeli and Arab officials believed only Trump could resolve the conflict. Ignatius recalled that soon after the conflict began, an Israeli official told him they felt disoriented and expected the U.S. to make decisions for them. He said, \u201cJoe Biden could never do that. And Donald Trump was able to do it,\u201d highlighting Trump\u2019s decisive stance that the war must end and Israel should not annex the West Bank, a move supported by some right-wing Israelis.<\/p>\n Ignatius commended Trump for quietly sending his team, including \u201cunlikely emissary\u201d Steve Witkoff, to work behind the scenes toward a 20-point peace plan, showing Middle Eastern leaders his seriousness about peace. He contrasted this with Biden, saying, \u201cFor all his desire for peace, [Biden] wasn\u2019t able to do\u201d what Trump did.<\/p>\n New York Times columnist Elisabeth Bumiller echoed the praise, sharing that Israelis she spoke to last summer believed only Trump had the leverage to pressure Netanyahu. She noted the current relief and celebration in Israel but cautioned about the challenges ahead, including Hamas\u2019s disarmament and Gaza\u2019s future governance.<\/p>\n Still, Bumiller called the announcement \u201ca very, very positive, happy day,\u201d highlighting the hope that this initial progress could lead to a more lasting peace despite the uncertainties that remain.<\/p>\n WATCH:<\/p>\n