Outgoing US President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters at the White House on Sunday, took credit for the ceasefire-and-terrorists-for-hostages deal, which "I outlined for the world back in May 31," and was "endorsed overwhelmingly by folks around the world, including the U.N. Security Council."
Biden thanked his team and "particularly Brett McGurk," his National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, who acted as lead US negotiator on the Israel-Hamas deal, for bringing the agreement to fruition, "a result of a principled and effective policy that we presided over for months.
"The road to this deal has been not easy at all, a long road, but we've reached the point today because of the pressure Israel built on Hamas backed by the United States," Biden said, adding that his policy of supporting Israel was criticized by some for risking "drawing America into a wider war in the region.
"I've listened to those voices, many of whom I respected a great deal. But I concluded abandoning the course I was on would not have led us to the ceasefire we're seeing today, but instead, it would have risked the wider war in the region that so many fear," he said.
