Why Trump Wanted a Gaza Ceasefire Agreement Before Taking Office

For President-elect Donald J. Trump, the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Gaza was key for two reasons.

It removed one of the most vexing international conflicts that hovered over the beginning of his second term, and it gave Mr. Trump, who during his days with real estate developers in New York City was known as a “deal man”, something to claim. credit for as an early victory – even if it happened before he took office.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Mr. Trump that 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 had sought in May. But several people with knowledge of the process said Mr. Trump’s victory in November, along with the involvement of members of his incoming administration, were key elements in moving things forward.

The aftermath of Hamas’s deadly attack on October 7, 2023 had been a backdrop for the 2024 US presidential election. Trump not only emerged as the Republican candidate, but as a survivor of an assassination attempt in July, his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu improved. (Ties frayed after Mr Netanyahu congratulated Mr Biden on winning the 2020 election.)

The fear of what the often unpredictable Mr. Trump — who said months ago that the world knows he’s “crazy” using an expletive for emphasis — can do on the world stage has become a key theme in private discussions among foreign leaders.

So the deal – concluded with significant involvement of Mr. Trump’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff – allowed Mr. Trump to begin his term with one less problem.