Biden admin is working with Trump team on hostage deal, says White House

By Jacob Magid

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8 January 2025, 11:15 pm

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

Relatives of hostages held in Gaza protest outside the Likud Party headquarters in Tel Aviv, January 8, 2025. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reiterates that the outgoing Biden administration is closely collaborating with the incoming Trump administration to secure a hostage deal.

“The American people have every right to expect that we would make sure the incoming team is fully informed, and if we don’t get this deal before we leave, then when they walk in the door at noon on January 20, they can hit the ground running and try to close it for themselves,” Kirby says during a press briefing.

However, Kirby clarifies that the current administration is the one at the negotiating table, with White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk currently representing the US in Doha.