For President-elect Donald J. Trump, the Israel-Gaza ceasefire agreement was key for two reasons.
It averted one of the most vexing international conflicts early in his second term and gave Mr Trump, known in his days as a New York real estate developer as a “deal man”, something to claim. credit as an early victory — even before he took office.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Mr Trump said the deal “only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November”.
The contours of the deal were not particularly different from what President Biden sought in May. But many people familiar with the process said Mr. Trump's victory in November and the presence of members of his incoming administration were key parts of moving things forward.
It was in the background of the race for the 2024 US presidential election after the deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have improved since Mr. Trump emerged not only as the Republican nominee but also as the survivor of an assassination attempt in July. (The relationship broke down after Mr. Netanyahu congratulated Mr. Biden on his 2020 election win.)
Fears of what the often unpredictable Mr. Trump — who said months ago that he knew the world was “crazy” for emphasis — could do on the world stage have become a topic of private debate among foreign leaders.
Thus, the deal, with significant input from Mr. Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, allowed Mr. Trump to begin his tenure with less trouble.