Biden briefly answers questions about Trump’s role in the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas

President Biden balked at a question from Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Wednesday about whether President-elect Trump deserves credit for the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

The deal comes during Biden’s final days in office, less than a week before Trump’s second term begins on January 20. A recent meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was reportedly an integral part of the conference. deal, sources told Fox News Digital.

“Who in the history books gets the credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?” Heinrich asked Biden at Wednesday afternoon’s White House press conference.

“Is this a joke?” replied the president.

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When Heinrich denied that her question was a joke, Biden replied, “Oh. Thanks,” and walked away.

President Biden, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaks about the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release agreement at the White House in Washington, DC, Wednesday. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Minutes earlier, Biden explained that the ceasefire would consist of two phases. The first phase, which will last about six weeks, “includes a full and complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women and the elderly and the wounded.”

“And I’m proud to say that Americans will also be part of that hostage release and phase one,” the president said. “And the vice president and I can’t wait to welcome them home.”

Israel has also released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Biden said, and Palestinians “can also return to their neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza, and a wave of humanitarian aid to Gaza will begin.” The second phase of the ceasefire will begin after Israel negotiates “the necessary arrangements,” which Biden said will mark “a permanent end to the war.”

“There are a number of details to negotiate the transition from phase one to phase two,” he continued. “But the plan says that if the talks take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire will continue as long as the talks continue.”

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Relatives and friends of people killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza react to the ceasefire as they take part in a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Weeks ago, Trump warned there would be “hell to pay” if there was no significant progress on a hostage deal when he took office.

“Everyone talks about the hostages being held so violently, inhumanely and against the will of the whole world, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released by January 20, 2025, the date I proudly take office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those, there are those responsible who have committed these atrocities against humanity,” Trump added.

Shortly after Biden announced the deal, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller acknowledged the role Trump’s team played in the negotiations and thanked them.

“I don’t know if it’s unprecedented to have envoys from an outgoing and an incoming administration sitting at the same table and negotiating a cease-fire agreement of this nature,” Miller said Wednesday. “But if it’s not unprecedented, it’s certainly unusual.”

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President Biden delivers remarks on the recently announced cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“And we, of course, thank the Trump team for working with this on this cease-fire agreement. We think it’s important that they were at the table.”

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace, Greg Norman, Trey Yingst, Brooke Curto, Efrat Lachter and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.