Asked whether he or Trump should get credit for the deal, Biden replies, ‘Is that a joke?’
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US President Joe Biden says he is “confident” that Israel and Hamas will reach phase two of the agreement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought during the negotiations to ensure that Israel would be allowed to resume fighting after the first stage, but Biden indicates he’s determined to make sure that doesn’t happen, given the pledges from the mediators to ensure negotiations on the second phase will continue until an agreement is reached. The fighting will remain at a halt, so long as those talks continue, Biden says.
Asked who should get credit for the deal — him or Trump — Biden responds, “Is that a joke.”
Biden says the hostage negotiation, which climaxed today, was one of the most difficult of his career.
“I’m deeply satisfied this day has come for the sake of the people of Israel and the [hostages’] families of waiting in agony, for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war,” Biden says.
“The Palestinian people have gone through hell. Too many innocent people have died. Too many communities have been destroyed,” he continues.
Biden notes that while the deal was negotiated by his administration, it will be implemented by the incoming Trump administration. “In these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team.”
“This has been a time of real turmoil in the Middle East, but as I prepare to leave office, our friends are strong, our enemies are weak, and there’s a genuine opportunity for a new future,” Biden says.
He also suggests that the hostage deal could lead to the creation of a “credible pathway” to a Palestinian state. This would require Israeli acquiescence, which Jerusalem has repeatedly made clear it will not grant.
With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the isolation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the ceasefire in Gaza, “we’re handing off to the next team a real opportunity for a better future for the Middle East,” says Biden.
He quotes former US senator and northern Ireland peace negotiator George Mitchell who said, “Diplomacy is 700 days of failure and one day of success.
“We’ve had many difficult days since the Hamas began this terrible war. We’ve encountered roadblocks and setbacks. But we haven’t given up. And now, after more than 400 days of struggle, a day of success has arrived,” Biden says.