On Wednesday, The Heritage Foundation issued the following statement in response to the United States and Israel negotiating an agreement with Hamas terrorists that would mandate a phased release of hostages in Gaza in exchange for a temporary ceasefire in the region. Nearly 100 hostages, including seven American citizens, remain in Gaza, and this deal signals hope for a safe release. The first phase of the agreement will likely begin on Sunday, when Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages.
Heritage Vice President for the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy Victoria Coates stated:
“Heritage extends our gratitude to President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli negotiators for taking swift action to save innocent lives. The window to bring the hostages home after fifteen months is shutting due to the horrific circumstances of their captivity.
“Before he has stepped into the Oval Office, President-elect Trump’s strong leadership and negotiation skills have delivered a deal that the Biden-Harris administration, despite access to virtually unlimited resources, failed to achieve. It is now beholden on Hamas to see if the future phases of the deal will be implemented as Israel retains the flexibility to respond to any violation.
“The disastrous foreign policy of the Biden-Harris administration placed the United States and Israel in an untenable situation that has created unnecessary death and destruction, as well as this terrible hostage crisis that they failed to resolve for more than a year. Under President-elect Trump’s leadership, the United States and Israel can reestablish strength and stability in the Middle East.”
Heritage Senior Policy Analyst for the Middle East and North Africa Daniel Flesch added:
“Despite months of failed negotiations, President Trump’s impending return to the White House was able to secure the release of these hostages, whose return is necessary for the Israeli people to begin to heal from this national trauma that began on October 7th. It is critical, however, that this deal does not prevent Israel from securing one of its vital war aims, which is to destroy Hamas.
“It must be understood: The United States and Israel would have never been in this situation had the Biden-Harris administration stood firmly by its greatest ally instead of unfreezing billions of Iranian assets and restraining Israel in its prosecution of an existential war for survival against Iran and its proxies.”
